Dark Beauty: Beauty and the Beast
by HotMezoti
Summary: More Grimm and less Disney - lemony content.
1. Chapter 1

Belle clutched her worn bag tightly on her lap, straining to look outside the carriage, but seeing only endless dark trees rushing by. She was not familiar with this part of the country. She'd mostly stayed in her own village. Her mind raced thinking of what she might be entering into, and how she planned to get out of it.

She had tried to look dirty, misshapen in her clothes on the auction block. Her plan to get her father's debts paid off selling herself off as a bride had been the first part. The second part was to get someone who would be an easy escape. Someone of lesser means, lesser intelligence, but just enough. Maybe take a few things that she needed to get by, then take off. She frowned as she saw how long their journey had been. Did this man really need to go so far to get a bride? She peeked her head out of the carriage and tried to ask how much longer, but he couldn't hear her over the din of the horses and the creak of the wheels. Frustrated, she flopped back down in the seat.

She woke with a start as the carriage stopped. Anxious, she fumbled for the handle.

"Wait – please Miss." The man said. She pulled her shawl around her shoulders and waited as the thin, tall man opened the door for her. He held out his hand and she gave him a fake smile as she stepped down the stairs, jumping off at the last step. It was almost dark now. "I am Lumiere, Miss-" he started but looked behind him at the imposing stone castle she was staring at.

"Is that – yours?" she pointed.

"Yes, well, no – I live here, I work here. The castle belongs to my master. I am his representative."

"His representative?" she repeated.

"Yes. I work on his behalf. Come, you must be getting cold." He gestured to the castle.

She swallowed hard. "Um, but you bought me at the auction, correct?"

"Yes miss, however I was doing so on the Master's behalf."

She felt her chest sink, and she started to step backwards to the carriage.

"Please – do not be afraid," he looked at her with concern, "He has no ill intentions for you, let me assure you. Please – let us go inside."

She looked at the horse's reins in his hand and realized that at least for tonight, she was stuck. She forced a smile and said, "Yes, of course." and followed him in. He refused to answer any more questions she had, taking her briskly through the cold stone walls as she rapidly looked around and took in her surroundings. Finally he stopped, "This can be your room, Miss," as he opened the door.

She nodded and slowly walked in as he rushed past her and started a fire in the fireplace. "I apologize, we had not prepared for you to be here, it will only take me a moment."

She looked around at the ornate, older furniture. A room that did not look used. It was beautifully done, but faded. The large bed looked comfortable, and the room was half the size of her whole cottage. She put her bag down as Lumiere stoked the fire and turned to face her, smiling nervously. "I will get you some things to eat and bring them back to you." She nodded and started looking around the room. All the drawers and wardrobes were empty. She pulled her bag onto one of the dressers, keeping her things in it. She let out a slow breath, starting to feel a bit of panic. This is not what she had envisioned. It had been a bit of a rash decision. Seeing a window, she went over and looked out the glass, realizing she was very high up, as the front of the castle was at the top of a hill, with this back part on the low end. She was at least 2 stories up, maybe more. She frowned and backed away. No getting out that way.

A timid knock at the door brought in Lumiere and a plump, older woman. "I just don't understand –" she was saying, when silenced by Lumiere. The woman looked at Belle with a mix of surprise and frustration. "Well," she said, "I put together what I could, I hope you like it." She walked in with a tray and set it down on the bed.

Belle stood stiff, unmoving.

"My girl, it's no use starving yourself on our account. What you're doing here is a mystery to me, but here we all are. No sense being shy. Eat." She gestured to the tray.

Belle took a few steps towards the bed and looked down at the tray, seeing a surprisingly nice assortment of dried fruits, cheeses and meat with a bun. She felt the hunger in her stomach. "Thank you." She said simply.

"She speaks!" the woman said, "That is a relief." She turned to Lumiere, "Fetch some water for her, she must be thirsty."

Lumiere bowed and Belle slowly chewed a piece of bun, watching him scurry out of the room. She'd completely misread him – he'd looked so well dressed and held himself with such calm at the auction, she'd taken him for a shop owner of some sort. Now she realized his plain but well-made clothes were a servant's uniform. She chided herself for not trying to get the attention of one of the farmers who were there instead. This fortress would be hard to get out of, if not impossible. She turned to look at the woman who had her hands on her hips. "I'm Mrs. Potts. What is your name, girl?"

"It's Belle."

"Belle, welcome to our home. I guess we'll figure out tomorrow what to do with you," she laughed, "you are a surprise."

Sensing this one was more talkative, she asked, "What do you do here?"

"Oh, I am the cook, the housekeeper and anything else that might need to be done around here."

Belle nodded, "And the rest?"

Mrs. Potts blinked a few times, "It's just me, Lumiere, my son Chip and the Master."

Belle picked up a piece of cheese and gave a knowing nod, "So, I'm going to be a servant, is that it?" she knew a castle this size would need a large staff. "There's better ways to get help, cheaper too, than a bride auction. I don't have a lot of skills-"

Mrs. Potts shook her head no, "Most of the castle is closed off. We manage here just fine. Lumiere said you are here as our guest."

Belle felt a tightening in her throat, "Oh, I see." She thought about what would be transpiring that night as the Master would come in and take her.

Lumiere came in with several cups of drink for her, putting them on her dresser, "I wasn't sure what you may like, Miss."

"Let's go, so we're not staring at her while she tries to have her meal," Mrs. Potts turned for the door, Lumiere following her.

"Wait – what about the Master of the house? What about him?"

They looked at each other, neither saying anything. She frowned, trying to read their expressions. Finally Lumiere spoke up, "He will let you know what he wants you to know when it is the right time."

Afraid to ask more, she pressed her lips together and reached out for more food. They left quickly and she climbed up on the bed, eating the food with abandon, looking around the room as she did. Dark outside now, the light from the fire dimly lit the room as she brushed crumbs off her stained, floral dress and looked more closely at the objects in the room. It was pretty, but generic. Paintings of flowers, warm blankets on the bed. She went to the heavy wooden door and unlatched it, pulling it open to see Lumiere jump up off the floor, "Anything you need, Miss?"

She frowned and shook her head no, "Am I prisoner here?"

"No, Miss. The master asked me to stay outside your room until I can show you the castle tomorrow. There are certain parts that are open, and safe for you to enter."

"Alright, thank you." She pulled it shut and went back in the room, deciding nothing would be accomplished that night. She crawled under the multiple warm blankets and went to sleep.

The next morning, Mrs. Potts held a tray outside Belle's door, prodding Lumiere awake. He stumbled up and rubbed his eyes, taking the tray from her, "I'll take it in."

"Wait a minute," she said in hushed tones, "What is she still doing here? What was he thinking buying this girl? This is madness!"

"I agree," he whispered, "He had a moment of thought to save her, and impulsively paid for her. He wouldn't discuss it further with me except for making her comfortable last night. Maybe he's going to let her go today, I have no idea."

She snorted, "To where? The woods?" she shook her head, "Now she knows we are here. Best thing to do would be to take her back to her village before she learns too much, give her some money and be done with it."

"I will talk to him and see what we need to do." He reached out for the tray, and knocked at the door. He was bid entry and Belle was standing in the same clothes as last night, looking out the window. She turned, "We are surrounded by woods, it seems."

He knew she was fishing, "Yes, Miss. The nearest village is just a bit closer than yours, a day's ride in a carriage." He put the tray down.

She turned back towards the window.

He waited.

Finally she spoke, "Am I allowed out today?"

"I – will let you know what the Master says."

He left.

Belle sighed and turned and ate the food on the tray, then washed up and fixed her hair with the brush she'd brought, and changed into the other dress she had in her bag. She hadn't slept much, every noise she'd sat up in bed, expecting the Master to come in and attack her. She knew how much virginity would be prized and taken as such. She pondered how she might be able to incapacitate Lumiere and get away. "Need to wait and plan." If she moved too soon, taking a horse and riding off, they'd easily overtake her and bring her back, where she might then be under lock and key. If she obtained their confidence first, she'd have more success. She had a sudden thought, and reached into the bottom of her bag and took out a sheath with a knife and strapped it around the bottom part of her calf, under her dress. She had just smoothed it over when a knock on the door brought Lumiere in. "Are you ready to see the castle, Miss?"

"Yes – ready."

He held the door open for her and proceeded to take her on a tour of the castle. It was vast, amazing, She'd never seen a place like that before – only from a distance. She'd read about them in books, but nothing prepared her for seeing it up close. Lumiere seemed to enjoy pointing out different rooms and answering her questions. He casually gestured to one room, "And this is our library-"

"Your what?" she stopped.

"Our library. It's been closed off for quite a while."

She lit up, "May I go in?"

He nodded and she entered the vast room, covered with fabric and dust. She lightly pulled one away and gasped at the large collection of books behind it in the bookcase. "I've never seen so many books." She pulled one out, looking at the title, "May I read this one?"

"Yes, yes of course," Lumiere walked forward. "There are more, we can take the covers off and you can look at them, take what you want."

"Really?" she tilted her head up and looked around the room, seeing what must be bookshelves lining every wall. She pulled drape after drape down, as Lumiere helped her, exposing more and more books, reaching all the way to the ceiling. For the first time Lumiere saw her smile as she made a pile of books on a table. "This is amazing. What a fantastic library! You are so lucky to have it here. How can it be all closed up? How do you not spend all your time here reading?" she marveled as she turned pages on a book in her hand.

He chuckled, "I am more of an outdoorsman, Miss. Hunting, horses, that is more of my liking."

She nodded, lost in the book.

"Um, Miss? There is more to see."

"Oh – can I – can I bring these with me?" she started to try to hold the large stack of books in her hands.

"We can get it on the way back. You are welcome to stay as long as you'd like in the library. You don't have to read them all in one day."

"Yes, of course." She put them down.

"Except – do not go down that hallway, it is closed off."

"Are there more books down there?"

He shook his head vigorously, "No," he became stern, "There aren't. It is off limits."

"Alright." She peered down the dark hall at the end of the room, turning her attention back to the vast supply of entertainment and knowledge that she craved.

He took her to the dining room and the kitchen, then outside the grounds. They were well manicured, woods edging all around. He showed her the stables, then back inside the front of the castle. She caught a glimpse of a large teenaged boy stacking wood, scurrying away.

"That is Chip," Lumiere said.

"Yes – Mrs. Potts said he lived here too. I must admit, I'm surprised you don't have more servants here."

"We are comfortable, and used to managing."

_Maybe he's fallen on hard times and can't afford staff,_ she mused. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened to a Lord.

"So, am I going to meet the Master? What is his name?" she turned to Lumiere.

He did not meet her gaze. "We call him Master. I will let him tell you his name." he hesitated. "I do not know when he will call you to meet him."

She studied his reaction, but couldn't read him. The secrecy made her uncomfortable.

"You may spend time in the library, or wherever I have pointed out to you. Mrs. Potts will call you for lunch. I would be careful on the grounds, the wolves in the woods are more aggressive than the ones you are used to in your village." And with that, she was alone in the vast library.

Deciding to take full advantage of this gift for as long as she would be there, she eagerly opened and started reading one of the books she'd picked out. Lost in the story, she barely registered Lumiere's voice. "Miss? It's past time for lunch."

She looked up a little blearily, "It's that late already?"

"Yes Miss, it's past time actually."

She took in a deep breath and put one of her hair ribbons in the book as a marker and closed it, following him to the vast dining hall. She looked around at the ornate chairs, the velvet seats. Dust covered everything, except one area they had recently cleaned off. "Do you all eat in here?"

He shook his head, "No Miss, we eat in a smaller dining room closer to the kitchen."

"I think I'd rather eat there, if that's allowed."

He thought for a moment, "Yes, I think that would be alright."

She left and turned as she looked at the stately room, meant for parties, long ago abandoned. She caught up to Lumiere into a smaller room, wooden table with chairs. He hastily pulled out a chair for her, "Please Miss, sit here."

He went through an open arch around into the kitchen, as Belle looked around and took in this more informal room. It was more what she was used to. She heard voices and soon Mrs. Potts came out with a smile and a full plate of food. "Here you go," she put it down in front of her with a napkin.

"Are you not eating with me?"

"Ah, no Miss." Lumiere looked surprised.

"The Master of the house, where does he eat?" she asked, spooning up some stew.

"Here," Lumiere gestured.

Belle looked up and for the first time saw the other chair in the room. She stopped, "That's a very large chair."

"Yes, Miss." Lumiere said, and bowed and left the room.

Left alone, she ate the rest of her food and brought the plate and mug into the kitchen. She could see Lumiere and Mrs. Potts were in a deep conversation that stopped when they saw her. "I'll take that dear." Mrs. Potts reached out and Belle thanked her for the meal. They stood around awkwardly until Belle cleared her throat, "I guess I'll go."

"Yes dear, I'll see you at dinner."

Belle nodded and left, trying to note if there was a cellar, a side door or another way out in that room. Feeling confined, she tested the waters and walked to the front door. She took the large wooden bar off the hinge and pushed it back. She pulled on the latch and looked behind her, expecting someone to run up and stop her, but no one did. She walked out and smelled the crisp air and felt the sun on her face. She walked back around the back and on the lawn, looking more closely at the trees, the flowers. She could see at the very end, an overgrown area with what had once been a fountain. "Shame." She said, imagining how grand that must have been. She turned back to look up at the castle, holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. She caught a flash of a curtain move back in a window. She squinted to try and see more, but it was now closed. "They're watching me." She said. She walked briskly back to the castle and investigated the woodshed, the rooms around the back. There was no side or back entrance that she could see. Just the front door. She saw the stables, deciding to investigate those tomorrow. She headed back in, and back to the library.

She dreamt she was running through woods, something was chasing her, chasing her. She felt the wet ground on her bare feet. She was breathing hard, was almost away when she heard it pounce on her. She sat up with a gasp and her eyes darted around the room, disoriented. The book falling to the floor caught her attention and she remembered where she was. She rubbed her hands over her eyes and got her wits about her. She picked the book up and found her place, putting her ribbon back in it and closing it.

She stood up and stretched. After another solitary meal off the kitchen, she grabbed a book and took it back to her room. She changed and went to bed, reading by the firelight. A loud knock at the door startled her, and she bolted up in bed, expecting the master. "Who – who is it?" she called out. She put her hand on the knife still strapped to her leg.

Mrs. Pott's cheery voice bellowed in the room, "I wanted to see what kind of clothes you had my dear."

"My clothes?" she let her grip on the knife relax.

"Yes." She opened the empty wardrobe. "Where are they?"

"I only have 2 dresses, and this nightgown." She reached over and picked up her bag where she kept both of them.

"That's all?"

"Yes, I brought all I have," she said defensively. "If I had more money, I wouldn't have had to sell myself at a bride auction, would I?"

Mrs. Potts was contrite, "Yes, of course." She stood in front of her, "Can I get your measurements for the tailor?"

"What?"

She held out a long piece of cloth, "We need to get you more clothes. Provide for you."

"Oh," Belle swallowed hard, "Sure." She slid out of bed and held her arms out as Mrs. Potts got her measurements. "Lumiere is going to town tomorrow and is going to pick you up some things. Do you have any special requests?"

"No."

"Very well then, have a good night."

"Mrs. Potts?" Belle asked.

"Yes dear?"

"What does the Master plan to do with me?"

"I do not know. Good night," and she closed the door.

The next day went pretty much the same, with Lumiere absent. Belle felt eyes on her constantly, real or imagined, she didn't know. She sought refuse in the library, and enjoyed the hearty meals. She often had to scrape together meals for her and her father. She thought about him, if he was wondering where she was. Would she die out there in the deep woods and he would never know?

In the late evening she went back to her room to find a large tub inside, Chip and Lumiere were filling it with water. "It's hot now Miss, but if you give it a little time, you'll be able to bathe in it."

"That is nice, thank you."

"Yes, and I left packages for you there," he pointed to the bed, "I made guesses at what a young lady would like. The shop assistant helped me. I hope it's to your liking."

"I'm sure it will be." She waited until they poured the last pitcher of water in and left. She walked and peered in, it must have taken them quite a few trips to get that much water in. He had also left some scented soaps on the chair next to it with a blanket to dry off. She'd never had so much luxury before. She took her clothes off and ran her fingers through the water. It was warm but not so much she couldn't get in. She stepped her foot in one at a time and relaxed down inside. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth. She leaned her head back and tried to wrap her mind around what had happened to her in the course of a few days. Why would this man go out of his way to do so much for her, and not even make an appearance? She suddenly thought maybe he wasn't in the castle, maybe he was off somewhere. It didn't seem like that from what the servants said. She shook her head, it was bewildering. She took her hair down and let it fall low, dipping her head back in the water to get it wet. She reached over for the soap on the bench and sniffed it, enjoying the flowery scent. She spun around in the water and gasped as she saw a large shadowed figure back out of the entry to her room. Furious, she jumped up and threw the blanket around her. She ran out of her room, looking down both hallways, "Sir! Sir! Who is there!" She couldn't see anyone. She heard rapid footsteps approach, and Lumiere ran up towards her room, "Are you alright Miss?"

"Yes, yes. It's – nothing." She frowned and went back in her room, closing the door. To her dismay, there was no latch on it. She arranged a group of fireplace tools in front of it to alert her if anyone came in.


	2. Chapter 2

That night was non-eventful. She woke up the next morning and moved the fireplace tools back. Belle finally turned her attention to the packages Lumiere had bought and left for her. She opened tied paper package after package of dresses, chemises, shoes and ribbons. She tried to contain her delight at so many fine things that she had never had before. She picked one out, tasteful, nice and not too showy. Getting dressed, she patted the knife sheath on her leg. She wasn't going to take any chances. She was tying the ribbon on her front when Mrs. Pott's loud knock came at the door.

"I came to see if you needed any help, oh my, don't you look lovely." She clasped her hands together.

Belle gave her a terse smile, "Thanks."

Mrs. Potts went to her dressing table and picked up the hairbrush, "Here, let me help you." She went behind her and reached out for her waist –long locks.

"No!" Belle reflexively pulled away, holding her hand up.

"I – I'm sorry."

Belle took the brush from her, "I'll do that, thanks."

Mrs. Potts held her hands tightly in front of her. "Breakfast is ready." She turned and left.

Belle held the brush tightly in her hands, then took the right half of her hair over her shoulder and started brushing from the ends up. She was not there for their needs, for their enjoyment as a pet or whatever. She was there to get out and be free. She was no thief, she would only take what she needed to escape.

She ate breakfast alone again, Lumiere admiring her attire. "Thank you, it's, it's really nice." She told him.

She went to the library after she ate, looking around for her book from the day before. It was in a slightly different place, and her ribbon was missing. "Hmm." She turned the book over, who had taken it, and why? She was starting to feel very uncomfortable in this castle. She decided to check out the stables that day to see how many horses there were.

She again found refuse in the library, after having scoped out the carriage and horse situation. She wasn't a good horsewoman, but was adequate. If she could figure out where the other village was Lumiere said was close, she could make it there. She was nearly finished the book she was reading, and walked back to her room to get another one she'd started earlier. All her clothes had been neatly put away in the wardrobe and drawers. "Mrs. Potts must have been up here," she said. She sighed and sat down at the desk. She couldn't understand why they were being so nice to her. The Master must have them scared into being that way for some reason. She shivered, the anticipation of when he would come to get her increasing. He was probably getting her cleaned up first – bath, then new clothes. "Yes, that's it." She thought about trying to leave that night. "Ugh, no, I don't know where the other village is yet. I'll have to wait." She spent more time reading, then as she got up to get a drink, she noticed a paper on the floor by her door. Picking it up, it was a note. She took it over by the window and opened it.

"_Dear Belle, _

_Please accept my apology for not introducing myself to you yet. I am giving you time to become accustomed to the castle. I hope you find the accommodations to your liking. I am sure you will find life here suits you. My servants are at your disposal to assist you with anything you may need. I assure you I have no ill intentions towards you. You are safe here in my castle. _

_Please observe the following rules while you are staying here-"_

Belle quickly skimmed the list, staying out of the woods, keeping out of forbidden rooms in the castle, etc. She made a face and crumpled it, putting it in the fire and watching it burn.

That night at dinner, she went into the kitchen and sought out Lumiere. "I was thinking we could go to the nearby village – what was it called?"

"Seillans?"

"Yes, that was it. I was thinking there are a few things I still need and I do not want to go back to my village, would cause problems I believe."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Could you give me a list and I could get it for you?"

"Not really. I need to look around for myself." She held her breath a little and smiled.

"I will have to ask the Master if that is acceptable."

Still wondering if this mysterious Master even existed, she had an idea, "Could you write the name of the village down for me, so I could remember it?"

Looking perplexed, he said, "Yes, I can do that for you." She followed him to the salon where he sat at a small desk and carefully wrote out using a quill the name of the village. "While I'm here, I can write a list out for you if you need it." He offered.

"No, thank you." She blotted it and looked at it. The handwriting was distinctly different from the note that was pushed under her door. "Does Mrs. Potts or Chip read or write?"

He shook his head, "No, neither one. I've tried over the years, but alas, for different reasons, not much. Mrs. Potts reads a little."

"Well, thank you for this. Could I have some paper and writing implements for my room as well?"

"Yes," Lumiere nodded, "I can bring some for you."

She thanked him and walked back to her room, looking again at his long scrawling handwriting he'd so carefully written. The handwriting on the note from the Master had been smaller, more elegant. She sighed, the mystery of this place was deepening. She was actually starting to look forward to seeing this Master of the Castle. Maybe she was more afraid than what she should be. Perhaps her fear was making more of him than there was. After all, he seemed more afraid of her for some reason. Perhaps he was weak, disabled, and did not want her to see it.

That night she found herself awake and as she started to drift off again, she heard someone behind her. Her eyes flew open wide. Heavy footsteps, slow and deliberate got closer. She felt the bed move slightly as someone leaned on the edge of the bed. She snaked her hand down, keeping as still as possible and slowly pulled her knife out of the sheath. She heard breathing, not moving, not going away. She moved her arm out under the blanket and the side of the bed. She waited. She felt some movement on the blanket and lunged up and around, stabbing her knife down into the hand of the intruder. She froze – staring into the eyes of a creature the likes of which she'd never seen. Large, imposing hulking mass, curling pointing horns. She looked down at the knife piercing his arm into the bed. She screeched and ran out of the room, down the hall, out the front door. Frantic, she went to the stables, but they were locked with a heavy lock. She pulled at it uselessly. She ran in the back yard, and into the woodshed, hiding herself behind a stockpile of firewood, huddled there until the sun came up.

It was Chip who found her there, she woke up to him yelling out, "She's in here," and walking out. She stood up slightly, peering out as Lumiere came in. She stood up, talking rapidly, "There was a creature – a monster – in my room last night!" she grabbed at his coat, "He – he stood over me, you have to find it and kill it!"

Lumiere was nodding calmly, irritating her. "I know, it's the Master. It's the Master."

"What?" she pushed her hair out of her face, "What do you mean?"

Lumiere put his hands on her shoulders, "That was the Master of the house. He said he had gone in to check on you, as he does every night. He did not mean to frighten you."

She shook her head, "No, no. This was not a man, he – it had horns, and was huge," she held her arms out to describe him.

"He had dark brown hair all over his face and body, yet the clothing of a gentleman?"

She thought back, "Yes, he did."

"Blue eyes?"

"I don't know. It was dark." She shook her head, "You are saying that is the Master of the house?"

Lumiere held onto her as if to keep her there, "Yes, that is why he was hesitant to let you see him. I know it's hard to understand, but he was once a man. He has been cursed to be half Beast, I cannot tell you more about it."

She pushed him away, "This is mad, you all are mad."

"Please, Belle, just – listen. He may have a frightening appearance, but he is of a kindly nature. This curse was imposed on him."

She tried to push past him, "I want to go back to my village now."

"Belle – at least meet with him."

"No, for what? So he could eat me for dinner?"

Frustrated, Lumiere snapped at her, "Do not be so cruel. What has he done to you since you have arrived to threaten you? All he had done is rescued you, let you stay in his house, given you food and clothing, and allowed you free access to his library and us at your disposal to give you what you need?"

"Why, so he could attack me last night?"

He snorted, "Attack you? What did he do to you?"

She snapped back, "I stopped him in time. I stabbed him."

"You slashed his coat with your knife, nothing more. If he wanted to hurt you, to have his way with you, he would have already."

She thought that over.

Lumiere took a deep breath, "Look, I understand this is very strange and shocking for you. This is not how any of us wanted this to turn out."

"How was it supposed to turn out, sir? What was the point of buying me at the auction?" she said angrily.

"He, ugh, he saw you from the carriage and pitied you. He didn't think about what the next step was. I'm sure he still hasn't."

She crossed her arms. This story was too fantastical to be true. She decided to call his bluff, "If this is true, I want to meet him, to talk to him."

"I can arrange that. Now please, come back up to the castle."

She nodded and walked slowly behind him. She shivered in the cool morning air, her thin chemise giving her little protection against the wind. She looked up at the castle and again saw a curtain move as she did so. She pointed up, "Is that him looking down at me?"

Lumiere looked in the direction she was pointing. "Yes, likely so." He walked forward.

_At least I'm finally getting somewhere_, she thought.

She walked in the castle, past Mrs. Potts' disapproving looks, and up to her room. She washed up, her feet, her hands. She got dressed, all the while seeing the image of the creature in her mind. She thought over what Lumiere had told her. It was a mad story. _A story_ – she dropped the shoe she was putting on. She suddenly remembered an old village story about a Monster in a castle who had been cursed. She struggled to think back to when she was a girl and had heard this tale told. She remembered it was about a man who had been changed into a monster. She shook her head. There couldn't be anything real about it, could there? She'd brushed it off as a story told to children to scare them away from the woods.

In the Master's chamber, Lumiere paced back and forth. "She was most distressed, Sire. She thought you were there to attack her."

A deep voice answered from a large, oversized chair. "And what did you say?"

He threw up his arms in frustration, "I told her if you had intended to hurt her, you would have done so."

He nodded, "Good answer."

"Sire, what are your plans with her? Now that she has been here and knows more, she is a threat to us if she decides to be."

"Yes, I am aware of that."

"So what now? She is asking to meet with you."

He growled, "Not yet. I am not ready."

"When would you be ready?" Lumiere put his hands to his head. "She is unlike any woman I've ever met. Willful, cunning. Take heed, Sire."

"Advice taken."

Lumiere turned to the door, "When would you like your meal?"

He paused, "I'll be coming down to eat."

"Indeed? That will be good. She is likely on her way there now." He left.

Beast looked down at the blue satin ribbon he'd been rubbing between his fingers.

Belle sat at the table, drinking from her cup. No meal was forthcoming. She wondered if Mrs. Potts was still mad at her. She started to get up and peer around the corner of the arch to the kitchen, when suddenly the door opened and the creature came in the room. He nodded to her, then went into the kitchen. Her heart started to beat out of her chest, he was actually there, so unexpectedly and nonchalantly. She sat back down as she heard him talking to Lumiere and Mrs. Potts. She took another drink and tried to calm her nerves. He came back in, sat down in the large chair across her and Mrs. Potts put a plate in front of him, smiling at him, and giving her a warning look. Belle frowned, and looked over at him as he put a napkin in his lap.

"I am the Master of this castle." He started.

"Yes, I figured that out." Her knees were shaking under the table, but she was determined not to show any fear.

He stopped and gave her an indulgent smile, "Indeed. I apologize for frightening you last night."

Mrs. Potts brought in a plate of food and placed it in front of her. She picked up a fork and started to eat, looking at him, studying his appearance. He cleared his throat, "You can look as much as you like."

"You don't look as frightening as you did in the dark of night."

"And neither do you, without a knife in your hand."

"I hope I didn't injure you too much," she took a bite of bread.

He laughed heartily, "You didn't even graze me, not that it would have mattered. You did slice a hole in one of my favorite coats."

"I don't feel so bad, after having been frightened out of the castle for the whole night."

He looked at her, this girl, this woman was hard, tough. He had never encountered someone who challenged him so. He grunted and continued to eat in silence.

"How old are you?" he finally asked.

"I'm twenty."

He nodded.

She focused on her food, struggling to get it down. It was unbelievable, he was actually the monster she'd heard about. She was living in the castle the village women had warned them about. She stole a glance up at him as she took another spoonful of food. "So, what happened with this curse?"

He stopped, "Another time." He took one last bite and pushed his chair away from the table. He turned and went back towards her. She instinctively leaned back, eyes wide. He really was a massive presence. He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in front of her. "This is yours, I believe."

She looked down at his massive paw, as he moved it back, she saw her knife. "You're giving it back to me?"

"It's good to have, for self-defense. Besides, I would never take anything of yours from you."

She grabbed it and put it under her skirt in the sheath. "What is your name?"

"It's Beast."

She shook her head, "No, what is your name."

"You can call me Beast."

She huffed, "That's not a name."

He lunged at the table, pushing it up against her abdomen. She flailed her arms as the chair tilted back, off balance. He grabbed her wrist, stabilizing her. He leaned forward and got close into her face, "I am Beast – don't ever get so comfortable that you forget that." His deep voice rattled in her gut.

She felt his paw grip her wrist tighter, and fought the urge to spit in his face. She was too frightened to move, but gritted her teeth and refused to cower in front of him. He stared at her, not moving.

"You are hurting me, sir." She said as calmly as she could get out.

He slowly moved back and pulled her back down, letting go of her wrist. He stood up and pulled his vest down, straightening his coat. "I'm going to the library, if you'd like to meet me there when you are finished." He turned and left.

Only then did she notice Lumiere and Mrs. Potts were in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at the scene with shock. Belle rubbed her wrists, "Is he always like that?" she barely contained a tremor in her voice.

Lumiere was quick to answer, "No Miss, not usually, I apologize. He is kindly at heart, there's a lot he had been through."

She pressed her lips together at his defense for his behavior. It was all a bit too much. Her hand shaking, she closed her eyes and put her hand up to shield her face to them. Mrs. Potts wrung her apron in her hands, looking pityingly at her. "You see, he's made her cry now."

Lumiere was concerned, and they both looked at her with furrowed brows. She finally moved her hand down and to their surprise, instead of tears they saw a flash of anger in her eyes. She stood up abruptly, thanked her for the breakfast and stormed out of the dining room and outside on the back grounds. There weren't many places she could go, and instead paced back and forth in the gardens. She finally went back to the woodshed in the back of the castle. She sat and played with a piece of kindling, thinking over the crazy scene she'd just been through.

"These people are crazy, and they're trying to involve me with this insanity." She moved dirt around with the end of the stick. She heard some thudding sounds outside, and holding the large piece of wood, peered around the corner – ready to defend herself. She saw Chip, re-stacking the wood pile near her. She relaxed a little, and walked out. "Hi, Chip, isn't it?"

He nodded, his blond hair hanging in his eyes, dirty smears on his forehead where he'd wiped sweat off the back of his dirty gloves.

"I'm Belle."

"I know. My mom told me."

She sized him up – he looked a little bit younger than herself. "You know your way around. I'm going to the nearby village soon. Not sure what direction you can get there. Do you think you could help me? I think it's west, but I'm not sure."

He shook his head vigorously, "I don't go there."

"No? You've never been there?" she was surprised.

"No, mama says I'm not allowed. I stay here at the castle."

"Well, maybe you could draw me a map then. I could get some paper-"

"I don't know how to read or write."

"You don't?" she frowned. "Um, you could draw a little, right? The correct directions perhaps?"

He shook his head no.

She furrowed her brows. She took another tactic, "I would love to see those horses in the stable, you know, brush them, feed them, help take away some of your chores. Do you have the key with you? We could let them out and exercise them a little."

He shook his head again, "Only Lumiere and the Master do that. They have the keys."

Frustrated, she said, "So you don't ride the horses and you never leave the castle. What do you do?"

He stood his tall lanky frame up straight and said defensively, "I know a lot of things, I fetch wood, and help Lumiere with the horses. I tie my own boots now too."

She laughed, "Tying my own boots wouldn't be a thing to be bragging about. How old are you?"

He put his hands on his hips, "I'm 241 years old. I do lots of grown up things now. Mama says I'm doing better. I use the ax now with the wood too. I – I don't need her watching me anymore."

She squinted at him, and studied his demeanor a bit more. It suddenly dawned on her he was slow.

"You know what, you're right. I'm sorry. That is a lot of grown up things to know how to do."

He relaxed a bit, but was still mad. He threw a piece of wood on the pile he was making.

"I tried to read," he finally said, "Mama says she's not the best teacher."

"I'm sure you did your best." She looked down.

He continued to chop the wood.

She turned to go, "Oh, let's keep my questions about the village a secret, okay?"

He looked puzzled.

"You know, I wanted it to be a surprise. You like surprises, don't you?"

"I guess."

"Okay, good. Thanks, Chip. It was nice talking to you." She walked slowly back to the front of the castle. "241 years old. He really is daft."


	3. Chapter 3

Belle slowly made her way back to the castle, somehow expecting to find something different inside. Instead she heard Mrs. Potts doing dishes and Lumiere cleaning up the Library while Beast was there, as he said he would be, reading a book. She hesitated for just a moment, then strode confidently in over to one of the bookshelves. She could feel Beast's eyes on her back, and flipped through the pages of a book. Finally she turned and walked to a tufted chair and sat down, re-reading the same page over and over.

Finally Beast cleared his throat, "Lumiere says you would like to go to town with him to get some things you need."

She stopped reading and looked over the top of her book, "Yes, I did. He did an excellent job of buying me clothes and wonderful things I've never had," she smiled, "There are a couple of things I still need, however."

He put his book down and looked at her, "He can take you in a few days, however you must promise to return back." His voice was deep and stern.

"Of course." She said lightly, and forced a smile. While her words were polite, her body language was closed off, her chin jutted out, lips closed tightly. She pushed her nose back down in her book. He sat across the room from her, and she could see him from the side, looking over the top of her book at him, continuing her examination of him. His fur was dark and light brown, curling in some places. It almost looked like a beard in the front. His eyes were blue, surprisingly, and human like, however he was definitely beast. He had large black horns, the ones that had frightened her in the middle of the night, curling up over the top of his head. He had a massive structure, with paws sticking out of the light blue silk of his coat with lace cuffs. It was a strange amalgam of man and beast, as Lumiere had said. Yet here he was, sitting gracefully on the settee, reading a book as any fine gentleman would do.

He stirred and looked up at her as she quickly looked down, asking- "You find your accommodations to be to your satisfaction?"

She furrowed her brows, smirking, what was this after he had almost attacked her at breakfast? Her wrist was still red from where he grabbed it. "Yes." She refused to say more.

He sighed, "You think I was too harsh on you before."

"I didn't say that." She turned the page and refused to look at him.

He huffed, this woman spoke in circles. He was attempting to make her at least a little more comfortable, as Lumiere had encouraged him to.

"Can I ask you something?" she put the book down and leaned forward.

"Depends on what it is."

"Why did you buy me at the bride auction? I mean, I feel kind of strange being here and all, and," she shook her head, "I don't think anyone here really wants me."

He ran his paw over his beard, "I wouldn't say that."

"You don't seem happy to have me, the others say I was an unexpected arrival, at best."

"It's been many years since we've had someone new here, it's a bit of an upheaval."

"That doesn't answer my question, though." She waited. Finally she said, "Lumiere said you felt sorry for me."

"Yes, something like that. Are things that bad that you regret your decision?"

She propped her head on her hand, "I, I don't know. I mean, you have to be honest that you and the curse – it's not something anyone would be expecting."

She watched him bristle at this. She waited.

"And I would guess that you are not what anyone would be expecting either."

"What do you mean by that?" she put her hand down and sat up straight, shocked.

"Well, you are very forthright. Also – you are brash." He closed his book on his lap.

She felt heat rising up her face, "Indeed?"

"Yes," he looked closely at her, as if examining her up and down, "You are, well, uncultured."

She jumped up with her fists clenched, "You are not the master of the house, this is some sort of trick. Where is he?"

Bemused, he said, "I assure you I am."

She spun around and grabbed the book she was reading and used it to point at him angrily, "Any 'man' who considers himself a gentleman, would never treat a lady this way. The person who wrote that letter to me could not be the same one talking to me now."

He approached her rapidly, eyes narrowed, and she held her breath a little as he got close, then walked past her in big strides and over to a desk in the room she hadn't noticed before. He pulled out some paper and ink, and wrote something, handing it to her and sitting back down on the couch. She looked at it, seeing the same handwriting from the note he'd left under the door. It read, "I am the Master of the castle."

_More like Beast of the castle_, she thought.

"Alright, so you are. Got it," she spat out. She went over to the fire and threw the paper in it to burn, held the book tightly to her chest and huffed out.

Lumiere, who had been dusting in the corner, looked at Beast with frustration, "Sire, you are not making things better."

"She does not help."

"You need to try harder. Think of how hard this must be for her, we are strangers. You do not need to insult her." He hesitated, "And the curse must make her fearful."

"It is I who makes her fearful."

Lumiere shook his head, "I wouldn't say so much fearful, but disappointed. She seems to be defiant with you. Perhaps if you-"

He held up his massive paw, "Enough!"

Lumiere walked over to him and talked more softly, "I do not see the point of having her stay here then."

"We cannot let her leave now, she knows too much. She could have the villagers come storm the castle again."

Lumiere gestured, "Then what were you thinking bringing her here, Sire?"

"I could not let any of those men take her and have her. None of them were worthy of her."

Lumiere looked at him, puzzled. "You've seen bride auctions from the carriage before in town."

"Yes, but I have seen her in town before, walking around with her basket and a book. She was trying to make herself look dirty, pathetic at the auction to put them off. Did you see the men bidding on her? I just – I couldn't let it happen."

"She may be better off leaving here."

Beast looked up, eyes dark, "Her anger fuels me."

Lumiere shook his head, and left.

Belle slammed the heavy door to her room, "Arrgggh!" she yelled out, and threw the book across her room. She slammed her fists on the bed a few times, and turned around and jumped up on it. She looked down at her hands in her lap, a few tears falling on the fine silk fabric on her new dress. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying to stop the flow. It was too late, and more continued to come. She hated crying, hated that his words had pierced her. "I shouldn't care what he says, anyway." She grumbled. "I mean," she wiped her eyes repeatedly, "Look at him! Who is he to say anything about what's cultured. Brash, huh!" she continued to herself, "He just doesn't like being told the truth. He can't stand how I'm not simpering with thanks and cowering in fear." She wiped her face with both hands and flopped back on the bed. She thought over the past few days, replaying conversations she'd had with everyone in the castle. There was something so strange with everyone and their reactions, beyond the obvious of the cursed beast.

"I've got to find a way out of here." She said.

Sometime later a timid knock came to her door. She ignored it, as Mrs. Potts' voice called to her, "I have some lunch for you, dear."

"It's not bolted," she called out. Belle grabbed a book from her side table, glancing over as the plump woman brought a bowl of food and left it for her.

"You don't have to stay confined to your room," she stood in front of her, wiping her hands on her stained apron.

"I prefer to stay in here, it's safer."

She sighed, "That was quite terrible, what he said to you." She watched Belle's reaction, "Oh, Lumiere told me all about it."

Belle looked down.

"No matter what he's been through, there's no excuse for him to act like that. I taught him better. I'm sorry."

That piqued Belle's interest, "You raised him?"

"Yes, since he was a little boy. I wasn't his governess or anything like that, I've been the cook in the household for many years. He was always strong headed. Sometimes without considering the feelings of others. I know we keep telling you this, but he is a deeply sensitive person underneath. Being the Beast physically hasn't changed that."

Belle let her legs drop over the edge of the bed, facing her, "He's pretty imposing to me."

"Umm, yes. Perhaps when he gets to know you a little better. Just – give him a chance." She smiled at her, and tilted her head to catch Belle's gaze. She could just see her eyes starting to water a bit. It touched Mrs. Potts, seeing how emotional she was. "I can only imagine how our strange little household must be affecting you. We do not mean to upset you. Honestly." She sighed and tried to think, "I tell you what, do you know how to cook?"

Belle pushed strands of hair off her face, "Of course. I do okay."

"Great, would you be willing to help me with some pies I'm making today?"

"I suppose."

Mrs. Potts brightened, "That would be wonderful. You go ahead and eat lunch, and I'll see you in the kitchen, and we can do some baking today. Alright?"

Belle nodded, "Sure, I'll help out."

"Okay," she nodded and patted Belle on the leg, and left.

Belle took some deep breaths, and scooted off the bed to get the stew.

That afternoon she worked with Mrs. Potts in the kitchen, making dough and rolling it out, making fillings. Belle showed her a new dessert pie she makes with a mixture of fruits. She started to relax a bit, Mrs. Potts chatty nature and appreciation of Belle's help making her comfortable.

Belle was checking on her pie baking in the oven and closed the heavy door. "Almost ready," she told Mrs. Potts.

"Not as many as last time, but a good amount," Beast's voice called out as he stopped short in the doorway. He held some rabbits up in his hand, staring at the sight of Belle in the kitchen.

"Very nice, I'll get started on those right away," Mrs. Potts took them from him as he stood frozen.

She gestured to Belle, "She's been a great help to me in the kitchen today."

Belle wiped the flour off her hand, and smoothed her hair down, "I was happy to help out. Gives me something to do, you know?"

"It's been years since I've had some new cooking ideas. You are welcome down here as much as you want," she smiled, looking over at Beast. "Well, don't just stand there staring at us, sit down, and I'll get you something quick before dinner." She shooed him with her hands.

Beast silently turned and walked out.

Mrs. Potts brought him some meat and cheese as Belle took her pie out and cleaned up. Mrs. Potts stopped her, "Oh, I'll get the rest of that. You go get cleaned up, and I'll see you later at dinner." Belle untied her pinafore and lay it on the counter, walking past Beast sitting at the table, she was almost at the door when he stopped her, "Thank you for helping her today."

She turned slightly, "I – enjoyed doing it." And she left, walking back to her quarters.

Beast ate quietly, waiting for Mrs. Potts reproach. Soon enough she stood in the doorway, wiping a pan dry with a cloth. "Adam-" she started.

He held up a paw, "I know. Everyone's telling me, I'm being too hard on her." He stopped and looked up. "At first you were all telling me to watch out, she needs to leave, and in the course of a few days, suddenly she's wonderful, and I'm too harsh."

Frustrated, Mrs. Potts shook her head, "You're missing the point. Be careful, cautious, yes, but don't insult and browbeat her in the meantime."

He leaned back in his chair, irritated, "Oh, I suppose I should flatter her, try to win her favor, should I?"

Mrs. Potts walked closer, "Why must you always take things to the extreme? You know better than that. Treat her with some compassion, show her the same kind of treatment you would want."

He let out a loud huff, "She is very blunt, brash-"

"She's young, and she's trying to defend herself and be strong. Stop putting her on the defense, and she won't continue to be."

He frowned, mulling over what she said.

Mrs. Potts tilted her head, "If you dislike her that much why don't you let her go? I'm asking sincerely."

He tapped his large fingers on the table. "She – intrigues me." He instantly regretted being that open with her, he hated to appear vulnerable, even to her.

She sat at the table and put her hand over his paw, "Then we are in agreement. Please make an effort. She is more fragile than she shows." She gave him a few pats and scooted the chair back, picking up the rag and the pan. Beast finished his meal, and stood in the kitchen doorway, "I will make an effort," he said stiffly.

Without looking around, she said, "I knew you would. You have a kind heart, Adam."

Later in his quarters, bathed and changed, he paced around, thinking of, then summarily dismissing, different scenarios of going and talking to her. As it approached the evening meal, he walked purposefully to her quarters, deciding to think of a plan of action when he got there. He tempered his knock to a gentler one, which garnered her calling out, "Enter."

He walked in slowly, his eyes finding her at her table in her room, shaking the quill up and down, "This ink is so old, it's dry. Do you think we could get some when we go to the village this-" she turned and started, seeing Beast there, instead of Lumiere.

"Oh, I didn't know it was you." She put the quill down and stood up, hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"Yes you can."

She blinked, "What?"

"Yes – you can get more ink when you go to town. Lumiere is going overmorrow. Or –" he gestured towards the doorway, "I could bring you some from my quarters."

She nodded, "Very well then, I can wait."

Beast walked around her room, by the fire, around the wardrobe, "You, uh, are comfortable here?"

"Yes." She waited.

"Good, good, that's – I'm glad." He fiddled with the pocket on his coat, "And the clothing you have, it is suitable?"

She nodded, eying him suspiciously.

He nodded back. Taking a few more steps around, he leaned awkwardly against the mantle, "If there is any particular food you prefer, I will instruct Lumiere to purchase some. He will be getting foodstuffs when you go."

"I will think about it, and let you know."

"Good." He stood awkwardly still and took a deep breath, "Well, I am going down to the dining room, I stopped to see if you would accompany me."

"That depends on if you can tolerate my 'uncultured' presence." She pressed her lips together. To her surprise, he laughed.

"I suppose we all act uncultured at times, wouldn't you say? Particularly when insulting a lady who doesn't deserve it." he held his elbow out.

She found herself walking the distance between them, and putting her hand around the inside of the crook of his arm. They walked out and down the vast hallway towards the dining room. He walked slowly, so she could keep up. She glanced up at him a few times, but he stared straight ahead. She adjusted her grip on him, feeling the strong musculature underneath. He let her go ahead in the room, and rushed around to pull her chair out for her. "Mrs. Potts, we are here."

Belle heard her respond, and pulled her chair up, taking a napkin in her lap. She studied him as he talked to Mrs. Potts in the kitchen, questioning his change in attitude towards her. She looked quickly back at her plate as he walked in carrying a large pot and placed it on the table. Mrs. Potts followed him with bread and drinks.

This meal, he was more talkative, asking her questions about her village, her family. She politely and cautiously answered, as he expressed interest in her life.

Mrs. Potts placed a plate of sliced pie in front of each of them, as Beast thanked her. Belle saw the kind smile she gave him back. Perhaps this was a glimpse of the Beast they all spoke so highly of. He took a bite and called out to her, "This is delicious, Mrs. Potts. You have outdone yourself."

"I haven't," she pointed at Belle, "It's the one she made, her recipe," she gave a broad smile and went around the corner.

"My compliments to you, Belle. It's been a very long time since I've had something like this. Quite delicious."

She squelched the urge to ask him how long it had been, what his story was. "I'm glad you like it." She finished hers, and waited as he ate another piece. "If you think it's that good, I can make everyone more," she offered.

"I would not stop you," he smiled at her.

"I thought I saw an orchard on the grounds, is there fruit there?"

"Yes, Mrs. Potts has some canned, but there is some fresh in the orchard at the end of the garden you can collect. Lumiere can also buy some in town in needed, like I said, whatever food you want."

"Thank you, that is most kind." She felt more uncomfortable with this treatment. It was easier to hate him.

"I do not mean to keep you, would you please join me in the library?"

"I- I don't see why not." Might as well play nice, she thought.

He went to the door and waited for her, again putting his arm out for her. She again took it, and in the library, he read silently as she did the same. She pondered over his change in countenance towards her. At least it was not unpleasant.

The next morning, she ate breakfast alone, Mrs. Potts explaining to her that Beast was out hunting. She put on one of the large straw hats Lumiere had bought her, and pinning her skirts up, walked through to the back part of the grounds. The orchard was definitely overgrown, large weeds and sucker plants sprouting from the trees. "What a shame," she said. "Might as well do something." She was tiring of reading all day. Not that she didn't enjoy it, but too much of anything was never good.

She armed herself with some tools from the shed and got to work, pulling the overgrowth out in a big pile and cutting around and trimming them. Focused on her work, she barely noticed a presence behind her, until she heard Beast's familiar deep voice.

"You are making progress there."

She turned and brushed the hair off her forehead with the back of her hand, "A little, anyway." She turned and pointed with the large garden shears, "You should get more fruit out of these now."

Beast sat down under a tree, on the grass in the shade. "We do gather some of the fruit, but alas, we are guilty of neglecting them."

"It won't take too much to get them better," she reached up and plucked a peach, taking a bite, "These are well established, and there are quite a nice variety of them." She picked another and brought it over to Beast, handing it to him.

He looked surprised at her approaching him. He took the peach, thanking her. She sat down across him and ate her fruit as well. She looked around her, "You really do have some fine grounds here."

"I am seeing them with fresh eyes through you."

"What about that fountain over there?"

"That – oh, it hasn't worked for – well, many years."

"I bet it was beautiful when it was working. It looks quite grand."

"Yes, it was." He looked at it, lost in memories.

She took another bite, the juice of the peach running down her arm. "I'm going to pick some more, make something else perhaps."

"You are spoiling us." He said.

She laughed, "I think it is you who has been spoiling me. I've never been treated so well."

He was charmed by her laugh, it was the first time he'd heard it. Outside, the sun splashing on her face, she looked more comfortable, and rather pretty. Her dark brown eyes and hair had seemed somewhat unremarkable when he first met her, but it had been hard to see beyond the scowl on her face. Here she was flush with the exertion, and smiling, comfortable. He pushed further thoughts about her out of his head. He stood up, and reached out for her hand to help her. She shifted her weight and pushed her feet underneath her and reached out her hand for his, pulling herself up quickly.

She squinted at the sun, "I'm going to get a basket and gather some of these."

"I recommend you come in for lunch first."

She shook her head, "I've been eating apples and peaches, I'll come in later. I want to do more out here first."

He nodded and bowed slightly, leaving her outside. He could still feel her soft hand on his paw. He shook his head, angry at himself. He was thinking just like Mrs. Potts and Lumiere – she was charming them all. He held his paws out to look at them as he walked to remind him of what he really was. He refused to torture himself with any ridiculous thoughts of this, or any other woman, doing anything more than barely tolerating him. Humoring him, at best. He took a deep breath and strengthened his resolve, going in the castle.

Later that afternoon, Lumiere checked with him, as he always did, before he went to town. He got a list from Beast of items and foodstuffs. "And for Miss Belle, what should I get?"

Beast waved his hand, "Whatever she wants. She does not seem the type to be outlandish in style or wants. She asked about some ink, whatever other clothing she says she needs. I approve it all."

Lumiere smiled, "Yes Sire. So you are also approving then also, of her accompanying me?"

"Yes, take the usual precautions when you go to town, and keep an eye out for her."

"Yes Sire."

Belle was peeling peaches in the kitchen when Lumiere found her, "We'll leave quite early, if that's alright with you. It's a day's travel there and back with a few hours we can stay and shop."

"Yes, I'll be ready in time. I don't have much I need to get." She kept peeling as Lumiere talked over the list with Mrs. Potts. She continued to work, slicing them and working on a tart.

"Oh my, that is lovely."

"I'm good with sweets, but not so much with meats and vegetables. That is a better skill to have."

"I could teach you a few things, if you are willing."

"That would be nice," Belle smiled.

Back in her room, she changed clothes, and was not quite ready when Beast knocked on her door. "Enter," she called. "I'm not done with my hair, I'm afraid." She sighed in frustration as she brushed the long, thick curling locks.

Beast drew in a breath, he hadn't seen her like that since that night she was taking her bath and he'd watched from the shadows.

She threw her hands down, "I've braided it 3 times, and it's still not right."

"I think it looks fine down like that." He swallowed hard.

"Ugh, I can't do that." She pulled it around one shoulder, and with nimble hands twisted and pinned it up, taking a comb out of her bag and pushing it in the back to hold it together. "There, does that look presentable?" she reached her hand up to pat it.

"Yes, it looks fine."

"Good," she picked up her skirt and grabbed his arm, "Let's go."

He accompanied her down the hall, feeling the strangeness of her increasing familiarity with him. A few days ago she tried to knife him, now she was holding onto him as if he was an old friend. She talked about the book she was reading. He listened with pleasure. It was nice to have someone new to talk to. So many, many years alone. He was glad he'd saved her off the auction block for the first time since she'd arrived.

She walked in front of him, and he pulled her chair out. He noticed a long lock of her hair had slipped out. As she sat down, he reached out for it, "Some fell out," he held it up, soft curl around his finger. Mrs. Potts came around the corner, as Beast turned to her, "Perhaps you could –"

"Yes," she walked up and twisted it around and put it under the comb. "There you go, my dear."

Belle stiffened up as she did so. Beast turned to sit down and noticed her eyes closed tightly. "Is that alright?"

She opened her eyes, "Oh, of course."

They ate stew, talked about the garden, and Mrs. Potts brought in the peach tart Belle had made. "Miss made this today."

"You are quite talented." Beast said, taking a bite.

"It's not much. I cooked at home. Worked in the garden there too. My father tended to the animals. We took turns cooking meals, when he was there."

"Was he gone a lot?"

She shifted in her chair, "Enough. He – is kindly, loving, but likes to drink. Too much. He could be gone for days. I learned to fend for myself."

"You talk about him, but not about your mother, what about her?"

She stiffened up, "She – left when I was very young. That was a good thing."

"Really? How so?"

She cleared her throat, "She was, unkind. Very harsh. She – it's hard to say. My memories of her are not welcome ones."

"Is that why you don't like Mrs. Potts touching you?"

Her head snapped up and shocked, she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed it, and looked down at her plate.

"I apologize if I was out of line saying that. I had noticed it."

She looked up and said, "No, it's alright. I hadn't thought about it, but maybe so."

She picked at her tart, then stopped.

"I have caused you distress, forgive me, it was not my place to say." Beast was concerned.

She wiped a tear quickly, "You have done no grievance. The awareness is painful in the moment, but that is what leads to enlightenment." She wiped her eyes again, "Ah, I'll be fine. Things I haven't thought about in a long time." She looked across at him, "You make me think, challenge me, without malice. I enjoy talking to you."

He sat back, "I – thank you."

Later back in her room, Belle sat on her bed in her night chemise, her legs pulled up, her chin resting on her knees. She thought back to her mother scolding her, demeaning her. She remembered how she would roughly comb her hair, criticizing her looks, jealous of her close relationship with her father. When she'd left, Belle had been relieved, but it was then that her father's drinking became worse. She always blamed herself for their family's fate, but in a different place now, with different people, it gave her a bit of perspective, and the ability to put more of the blame where it actually belonged – on her mother. "I've got to stop taking it all on me." She said.

She finally pulled herself out of the past, and reached under her bed, getting her bag out. She started packing it – her combs, her meager belongs she'd brought with her. She looked around her room for anything valuable, something small she could get money for. She looked at the brush and comb set. It was real silver. She put them in the bag as well.

She got up early, putting two dresses on, the top covering the other to conceal it. She grabbed her bag and tied it around her waist under the dresses to conceal it. She wanted to take a book or two, but knew she had to be practical about what she should take.

She met Lumiere at the front of the castle before dawn. He handed her a small parcel with food for the journey. In the carriage, she looked back at the castle, frowning as they rode off.


	4. Chapter 4

Once settled in the carriage, Belle hiked her skirts up and double checked her bag. She made sure the items were wrapped so as she walked it wouldn't bang around. "That wouldn't do," she shook her head. She leaned her head against the padded velvet wall and drifted off to sleep. The rocking stopped with start, and she looked around, disoriented. Lumiere's voice came through, "We're here, Miss." He opened her door and held out his gloved hand. She stepped out and squinted in the mid-morning sun. Smoothing her dress, she looked around. It was a larger town, but not too dissimilar from hers.

"Welcome to Seillans." Lumiere smiled. "I usually go to the general store first, then get some foodstuffs afterwards. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Hm? Oh – sure, yes." She looked around as they walked. _This will do just fine_, she thought. _A good starting place, at least._ She tried to find a sort of shop she would be able to sell the silver to. She was sure the villagers could point one out.

"Why don't we eat first?" Lumiere pointed to a restaurant. "I usually like to eat here. You haven't eaten your food you brought yet, have you?"

"Oh, no I didn't." she realized she'd left it in the carriage. At the very least, she should have hidden it in her bag for later, she chided herself. Mrs. Potts had made a small meat pie. "Yes, let's go in."

He opened the door for her, and they went inside the restaurant. She looked around at all the paintings on the walls, the furniture. It wasn't fancy, but it was the type of place she'd never been able to afford to go. He held out a chair, and motioned for the help.

"Hello again Sir," the waitress said.

"Hello Claudine. How are you?"

She tilted her head and smiled. Her blonde curls spilling out of the white cap on top. She was middle aged, but pretty – cute with a curvy figure under her pink dress. "It's been a while since you were last here, I was starting to think you were forgetting about me."

Belle watched with amusement as Lumiere blushed. She looked quickly back up at Claudine and realized the flirting was on both sides. "I apologize, I have been rather busy at home."

"I see that," she turned a critical eye to Belle.

"Oh – may I introduce my niece, Belle."

"Your niece?" Claudine seemed to relax, and held her hand out to her, "Very nice to meet you miss. I had no idea Lumiere had relatives."

"Yes, I've come to stay with him for a while. My father died and made me his ward." Belle took her hand, "He has been treating me very well, better than I deserve, I believe."

"Lumiere is one of the kindest men I've ever met. And now to have family with him, I'm sure that is a blessing."

A large man in an apron walked up to Claudine, "There are customers waiting," he gave her a warning look.

Belle interjected, "I apologize for keeping her, it is my first time here and in town. She was telling me about the many fine foods you offer. It has been a very long time since I've had so many to choose from, I can't decide," she giggled.

The man puffed up a little, "Thank you, miss. We pride ourselves on being the best restaurant in Seillans." He gave a little bow and left.

Claudine turned to her, "Thank you. Now, I know what you want," she pointed at Lumiere, "but I can give you some ideas of what we have that you may like." She took her order and left.

Lumiere sipped the wine she brought them, and looked around. "A very nice place, no?"

"Yes, it is. We don't have anything like that in our village."

"I know, that's why I usually come here. Plus it's a little closer."

"She seems nice," Belle pointed in her direction.

"Yes," he gave an involuntary smile and looked over her way. He was rewarded with a sweet smile from Claudine in return.

They ate a hearty and delicious meal, including dessert. "I've only seen cakes like this in the window. To be able to eat one is a great delight."

"Maybe you can try to replicate it, we could get the ingredients for it."

"Uh, sure." She shifted uncomfortably.

They finished their wine and left, Claudine rushing up to brightly say goodbye to them, a hint of sadness in her eyes, "So soon? Well, take this," she went behind the corner, and looking around to make sure no one was watching, gave them a box, "A bit more of the cake, since you liked it so much."

"Thank you, that is so kind of you," Belle took it and walked out, Lumiere lingering a minute longer.

He caught up to her and put his gloves on. "Excellent meal, do you not think so?"

She nodded, "Very nice, thank you."

Back at the castle, Beast paced, the sudden emptiness palpable. Nothing could calm him, his reading, walking the grounds, his usual hunting pursuits. Everything seemed dulled somehow. He wandered around until he was drawn to Belle's room. He looked around, almost expecting her to be there. "Funny, she's only been here a week, but she's such a part of the castle." He sat on the edge of her bed and looked at the wardrobe. He indulged himself in looking through her dresses, feeling the fine fabrics and the lacy trims. He opened her drawer where she kept her hair ribbons, a new pink one now keeping place in the book she had been reading. He gave a guilty smile, knowing she did not know he was the culprit of taking her blue one. He wondered why he was even in here. It had been his mother's room as a young girl, converted to a guest room many years ago. It still had most of her decorating in it. He'd never thought it would be used ever again. Having a young, pretty girl to enjoy it gave him comfort. "She would have liked that." He wondered if Belle had taken her knife with her. Likely she did, he'd seen her use it to peel and slice fruit when they were in the orchard. He shook his head, she was a strange woman. So young, but so independent minded. He turned to make sure the door was closed, not wanting to be caught by Mrs. Potts. He reached out for the pillow on the bed, holding up to his face, breathing in her scent. He knew he needed to be careful, cautious, but in the safety of her being gone, he was going to fully indulge himself in touching all the things he couldn't do with her. He put it back, carefully fluffing it.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. He'd given Lumiere a large budget to get her whatever she wanted in town. He remembered how young ladies had many things and he wanted her to have everything she needed. It had been many years since he'd been able to buy anyone something new. He spied the soaps on her dresser and stood up, picking one up and sniffing it. He made a face, it was very concentrated. He took a smaller sniff, lavender. He picked another one up, it had a slight flowery smell that was now familiar. This must be the one she was using. He turned it over in his hand and smiled, placing it carefully where he'd found it. He started to turn away, then frowned. He looked at the dressing table. Something was missing. "The silver brush and mirror." It had been his mother's, and hers before her. He opened the top drawer, it wasn't there. He opened the next drawers, they were empty. He thought for a moment. Where were her underthings? He started looking in all the drawers, and found very little there. A corset, some shoes. "What she couldn't conceal." He fumed. He knelt down and looked under her bed for the bag he knew she kept there. It was gone. He threw the blanket of the bed down angrily, and stood up, hands on his hips, pacing. "I am a fool. Lumiere warned me, and I –" he couldn't complete his thought. He stormed out to his quarters, bolting the door behind him.

Back in town, Lumiere and Belle walked further along, Lumiere pointing out the general store. "Well go there next, but first the dressmaker-" he crossed the street, Belle in tow.

"Dressmaker?" Belle asked.

"Yes, you said there were a few things you needed. Sire specifically told me to make sure you were taken care of." He stepped up the wooden steps and held the door for her.

She walked in to a marvelous shop, 4 times the size of the one in her town. "Oh my," she looked around at the dizzying display of silks, brocades, ribbons, textiles, buttons.

"Hello monsieur, what can I do for you?" a middle aged portly man stepped out from behind the counter.

Lumiere gestured to Belle, "This is my niece I was telling you about."

"Ah, mademoiselle," he took her gloved hand and bowed, "I recognize my handiwork anywhere." He grinned.

"Oh, yes, this – it is marvelous." She turned and swished her purple and black striped dress back and forth.

"We were very happy with everything I bought before, " Lumiere started. "And she needs a few more things."

The tailor gave a beaming smile, "Very well, very well! So a good start, that is wonderful indeed. Come with me, miss, I will help you with anything else you may need."

Lumiere started for the door. "I'll make my way to the general store. You can meet me over there when you're done," he gave a wave and left.

The tailor brought Belle to the back counter, "Mariette!" he called out. He turned and yelled louder, "Mariette!" A young woman scrambled to the front.

"You need to come when I call you," he said to her sternly.

"I – I was, I had to put the baby down." She pushed a brown lock off her sweaty brow, putting on a smile, "Good morning miss, what can I do to help you?"

"I – uh," Belle tried to remember what it was she'd actually thought she needed. "I need some lighter, summer dresses, and some more night clothes. Also –" she had the sudden thought she could come pick it up the next day, and Lumiere would be none the wiser, "If I could place it as order, I'm sure you don't have much in stock."

"Yes, very good, very good, we can do that." He snapped his fingers at his wife, "Get her measurements, I will look and see what we have in stock." He went in the back.

Mariette took her measurements and write down, as the Tailor brought different dresses in for Belle to look at. "Yes, that one, and that one." She picked two out. She picked out more night clothes and a dressing gown. "Could I have some thread and a sewing kit?" she asked.

"But of course," he reached under the counter and pulled several out for her to examine. She picked one in a small case, a variety of threads, some scissors and needles in it. _ This will come in handy,_ she thought.

The tailor wrote the order up while his wife placed the clothing in paper packaging and tied it. "Anything else Miss?"

Belle was anxious to get going before Lumiere could catch up to her. "No, that's it, thank you so much." She stepped out of the shop, and felt her heart race a bit as she walked purposefully on the cobbled streets. She would have to walk past the general store and hope he wouldn't see her as she made her way to the outskirts of town. She started to feel a sick feeling with every step, her pace slowing. She made it past the general store, the vegetable market next to it. She felt her breathing quicken, almost as if she couldn't catch her breath. She leaned against the wooden column, taking some deep breaths. A wagon stopped just in front of her, and she waited as a farmer and his family spilled out.

He directed as the kids scrambled and took sacks inside the store. The wife pulled out some apples in a basket and gave to one of the younger kids. The man walked out and scolded his wife, who picked up one of the wayward kids and put in the front of the wagon. "Didn't I tell you to stay up here," she said, as the curly haired toddler nodded.

The woman turned and saw Belle watching them, she brushed her forehead with the back of her hand, putting a dirty mark on it. Her clothes were worn, her face wrinkled from the sun. She couldn't have been too much older than Belle. She put her hand on her back and leaned back, her belly now showing she was with child. "Nice dress, Mademoiselle," she gave her a tired grin.

Belle looked down, "Oh, thank you."

The man said gruffly from the shop, "Hurry up,"

She turned and waved a frustrated hand at him, and took another basket of apples out, taking it inside.

Belle leaned against the column, her hand to her chest as she tried to slowly breathe in and out. A great fear gripped her, and she was frozen to the spot. She looked down, and the stripes on her dress started to move.

"Are you okay, miss?" The market shopkeeper came up to her.

"Oh yes, just a bit hot today." She fanned her face with her hand.

"Please, sit down, " he snapped his fingers at a young man who brought her a chair. She sat and put her hand to her forehead, just seeing the farmer and his wife gather all the children in the wagon and driving off.

They brought her a glass of water, which she drank. Feeling silly, she thanked them for their kindness and started walking again. She barely made it past the store, and around the corner. Free now, she gripped the packages to her chest, and stood frozen, looking down the unfamiliar street, the woods beyond. She thought about her room at the castle, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, their kindness. Chip's childlike weariness of her. She leaned her back up against the wall, looking down at the dirt. She saw Beast, sitting uncomfortably in the orchard, eating the peach she'd given him. She shook her head, she'd never been treated so kindly, given so many freedoms, for so little. Her instinct said run, but she couldn't make her feet do it. The bag with stolen silver hung under her dress like an anchor weighing her down. "I can't – I can't do it."

A life as a shop keeper or farmer's wife had been a much preferable fate compared to being one of her villager's bought brides, or Gaston's slave and whore. Now, she'd been given a life that women rarely dreamt about. She took a deep breath and walked back out of the alley, turning the corner, towards the General store. She saw Lumiere in the distance, scanning the crowd. She walked closer and waved, and she saw the relief in his eyes as he saw her. He ran up to her, "I lost you there miss."

"I got a little lost myself. I found my way back, though." She smiled at him.

He reached his hands out for her packages, "I'll help you with those. Did you find what you were looking for?"

She nodded.

"I've ordered what we need, but I would like you to see what you need here." He opened the door to the general store. She walked in, her legs still a little wobbly from nerves. "Please look around, anything you want, bring it to the counter. I brought the carriage around to load up."

She looked around the store, picking up some art pencils and paper. She looked at the books, thinking about how that used to thrill her before. Now it seemed meager compared to the library she had at the castle. She wandered to the cooking section, picking up some pans and tools she thought Mrs. Potts might like. She thought about Beast. What might he like her to bring back. What did he not have? Perplexed, she looked around, but not ever even been in his room, she had no idea what he had and didn't. She sought Lumiere out.

"Ready?" he asked her.

"Almost, I've got some things at the counter. I'd like to get something for – for-" she was suddenly very aware of the people around her, "the Sire. What do you think he would like?"

Lumiere was taken by surprise, "Like a gift, Miss?"

She nodded, "Yes, but I have no idea what he has or what he likes." She frowned. She had a sudden thought, "Where do you get his clothes made – at the same tailor?"

He nodded.

"Can we go back, I'd like to pick out something new for him to wear. It's only fair since I cut his favorite coat." She smiled, this would work. And a more stylish jacket too. He obviously took great care in his clothing, but it was a little old fashioned.

Lumiere made the purchases and loaded up the wagon. They went back to the tailor, Lumiere saying, "I'd like to place a special order." The tailor shooed his wife to the back of the store. "It's been a while since you've purchased a jacket coat." He glanced up at Belle.

Lumiere looked nervously at her, "I know, she wants to order him something new, something different."

The tailor, looking serious, pulled out a pad, licking his pencil tip, "Same measurements?"

"Yes," Lumiere nodded to her, "She will pick out the fabrics and style."

He brought out a book of patterns for her to look at. She flipped through, poring over the pages, "Here," she pointed to one, "Like this, in – black velvet, I think. That would be very elegant." She turned to Lumiere for his opinion.

"Yes, I think that would be agreeable."

"With silver embroidery, in this pattern. When would it be available?" she asked.

"Hm, for you, next week. I will have Mariette do the embroidery and I will cut the pattern and do the sewing."

Lumiere nodded as the Tailor wrote the order up. They shook hands and bid each other goodbye. Walking back to the carriage, Belle asked Lumiere, "Does he know?"

Lumiere shook his head, "No, he is paid handsomely not to ask questions."

They piled packages on top and inside the carriage. "I hope you're not too crammed up in there."

"I probably spent too much, I should have checked with you."

Lumiere waved her off, "Nonsense. It was no issue."

Across the street, from a tavern window, dark eyes watched. He studied the carriage, taking every detail of it in to memory. He focused on the woman who closed the door and peeked out the window before withdrawing as the carriage slowly turned down the street.

"'Ave another, would you?" the barmaid asked, holding a beer up.

Gaston refused, not looking at her, "No thanks. I'm good for now."

Back at the castle, Mrs. Potts was looking for Beast. She knocked yet again at his door, calling inside, "Are you alive in there?"

The door finally sprang open and he stomped back to his desk, putting his head in his paw.

She brought a tray in and put it down on his bed, "Well, here's something to eat. I suppose when Belle's not here, you don't bother coming down anymore, huh?" she chuckled.

His voice was deep, "She won't be coming back."

"What?" she poured him some wine and handed it to him, "what you mean? She just went with Lumiere to do some shopping, right?"

He shook his head, "She's gone."

"Oh, la. She's not going anywhere. She's done settled in quite nicely, I'd say. Come around quick."

"That was her game, don't you see?" he peered at her over his shoulder.

His serious demeanor gave her pause.

"Game?"

"Yes. Lumiere warned me, I didn't see it. We – none of us wanted to see it. It was all false."

"I don't believe-"

He pounded his fist on the table, "It was false!" he shouted.

She stood shocked.

He paced around, "I was a fool," he laughed bitterly, "A complete and utter fool. I even flattered myself that she may be getting used to living here, used to being around a creature like myself." He shook his head and turned away from her.

Mrs. Potts knew when he was hiding his tears, and it gutted her. "But – but you don't know for sure, they aren't even due to be back yet."

"It's gone." Was all he could get out.

"What's gone?" she asked softly.

"She took her things, took the silver set in her room – she can sell that, don't you see?" he turned to look at her. "Go look for yourself."

"I, I'm so sorry."

"Not as much as I am. And now I've endangered our existence here."

She shook her head and turned to go. Slowly closing the door, she walked down to hall the Belle's room. At first glance, everything seemed in place, but the silver grooming set was indeed missing. She opened a few drawers and gasped that the clothing she'd put there just a few days ago was gone, socks, underthings, smaller clothing that could be easily packed. "Well I'll be." She put her hands to her face and closed her eyes tightly.

Mrs. Potts stayed up late that night, peeling potatoes and canning fruit. Her frustration and anger kept her from sleeping. Beast stayed locked up in his room. She knew to give him space when he was angry and upset. She was cleaning up when Chip came in, "They're back." He called out. She pressed her lips together and turned back to the sink. Lumiere had probably stayed late looking for her before abandoning his search. She turned to ask if he wanted something to eat. Lumiere came in with bags and bundles overflowing, "Oh, and something else," he smiled, handing her a small box from the restaurant.

"What is it?" Mrs. Potts opened the lid.

"Cake," Belle said.

Mrs. Potts looked up in shock at Belle walking from behind Lumiere.

"We got some at the restaurant, and they gave us some to take home. I thought we could try and recreate the recipe." She took off her coat.

"Excuse me," Mrs. Potts put it down and rushed out of the kitchen. The other two barely noticed as they helped Chip as he brought the foodstuffs in from the carriage.

Mrs. Potts banged on Beast's door. "She's back, Adam, she's back!"

The door swung open as she held her fist up, ready to bang on it again. "Belle's here, she came back in the carriage." She said breathlessly. It had been many years since she had run that fast.

"What do you mean talking this nonsense?"

"They both just came back. She's down in the kitchen herself."

"But what – she packed up her things –"

She held up her hands, "I don't know, but she is here."

Beast brushed past her and down the hall, as Mrs. Potts scurried behind him. He stopped short just outside the kitchen as they both saw her walk outside behind Chip to the carriage. He couldn't believe his eyes. He turned and spoke to her quietly, "Not a word, do you hear me? Don't say a word to any of them about this." He could see the anger in her eyes, he knew she was very protective of him. "Promise me!"

She sighed, "I promise."

"Good."

Lumiere walked in holding packages, "Sire, this is the last of it."

He nodded, "Fine, could you see me in my quarters when you are finished?"

Lumiere nodded, "Of course."

Belle and Chip came in, Chip bolting the heavy front door behind them. "I got some more cooking ware so I can make some more desserts for you," Belle grinned.

"Oh, that sounds lovely dear." Mrs. Potts smiled. As they disappeared around the corner, she turned to Beast, "What do you make of it?"

He shook his head, "I do not know."

After unloading with Chip and Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, Belle took the things that were for her, and went up to her room. She placed them on her bed and closed the door. She sighed, thinking over her decision, had it been the right one? She untied her dress, pulling it over her head, then same for the second one. It had been stifling wearing double clothes. She took off her corset and petticoats and untied the bag from her waist, which took some doing since she had knotted it so. She opened it and took everything out, re-folding the clothing, socks, and putting it back in the drawers. She carefully unwrapped the silver brush and comb, mirror set and placed them gingerly back on the plate on the dresser. Looking more closely at it, she saw some initials on the top. "Hm, wonder who's these were." She put everything away and pulled out the new night chemise, getting dressed and washed up in her basin, and in bed.

Lumiere came to Beast's room later, as requested. "You had a good journey?" he asked.

"Yes, Sire."

"And in town, everything go well?"

"Yes Sire." Lumiere frowned, he knew him too well not to see something was wrong. "Is there an issue?"

Beast held his paw over his mouth, sitting in his large red chair by his fire. "I am going to ask you some questions, please answer and completely and honestly as possible." He gestured to a chair.

"Of course, always." Lumiere walked closer and sat in the chair across him.

"Did anything unusual happen in town?"

"Unusual in what way?"

"With Belle. Did anything unusual happen, strange?"

"Not that I can think of. I mean, it was her first time to Seillans. She was very agreeable and congenial."

"Take me through your day."

Lumiere sat back, "Well, we made good time there. We went to eat at the restaurant first, you know the one I like to go to."

Beast nodded, "Continue."

"Um, we ordered. I introduced her as my niece."

"Was that your idea?"

"Yes, I had to think of something at the moment."

"How did she react?"

"She was quick to go along with the story. She was very easy to talk to different shop people and act naturally."

"Yes," Beast said slowly, "That is her talent."

Lumiere frowned, "And we went to the tailor. She ordered some clothing, and I went to the general store."

"Together?"

He shook his head, "No, I left her there, and did my shopping. I had no desire to stay and talk ribbons and silks. Did – was that a mistake? I didn't think about not leaving her alone." Lumiere frowned.

"Whose idea was that?"

"Mine. I apologize if that was wrong."

Beast leaned forward, "So what happened?"

"Well, I was busy ordering the food stuffs and other sundries, and I was in there for a while. She was supposed to meet me there."

"But she didn't?"

"No, I went outside and saw her. She said something about being lost."

"Indeed. You walked up on her?"

"No, I was looking around for her, and she waved at me, was walking towards me with her packages."

"Hmm. Go on."

"So after that, we made our other purchases, and we left. That was it."

"Thank you, Lumiere."

"Might I ask-"

Beast held his hand up, "No, please do not. Thank you, you have done an exemplary job. I appreciate it."

Lumiere stood up hesitantly, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Beast stood up, "Thank you. I have no further questions. Please do not mention this to anyone else."

He nodded and bowed slightly and walked out of the room. He thought over the strange questioning. Did Beast feel he hadn't protected her enough? There were pickpockets and other derelicts in town. Next time he would be sure to keep a closer watch on her.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Belle waited for Beast to come to her room as he usually did to walk her down to breakfast. Finally, she went by herself. She glanced around for him as she walked through the castle, but didn't see him. She made her way in the kitchen, where Mrs. Potts was snapping beans. Belle picked one up and ate it, "I waited for Beast, but I can't find him."

"He was here earlier. He left- had things to do outside."

Belle frowned, "Oh, well, alright, I guess. I can get some breakfast myself."

"I made you a plate over there, dear." Mrs. Potts was cordial, but didn't look at her.

Bell picked it up slowly, "Thank you." Puzzled at her strange demeanor and Beast's absence, she ate her breakfast, and quickly went back upstairs to change for outside. She worked steadily in the orchard for the good part of the morning, and kept looking around her. Beast never left her there too long. He always came by, even just to eat a piece of fruit and check on her. She frowned, wondering if he was upset by how much she'd bought in town. Lumiere said it was ok, but maybe it had been too much. She came in and ate lunch, where Beast came in in the middle of her meal. He was cordial, as Mrs. Potts had been, but that was all. They ate nearly in silence. She felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was wrong, but she couldn't figure it out. Determined to talk to him later that day, she cleaned up and focused her attention on her new art pencils and went to the library to draw. She saw movement and looked up readily, but alas, it was Chip and not Beast. Disappointed, she turned back to her drawing. Chip placed the wood neatly by the fire.

She stared out the window, trying to get the placement of the trees against the sky just right in her sketch. She noticed Chip walking slowly towards her, straining to see what she was doing. She stopped and smiled at him, leaning back so he could see, "Just trying to draw the view outside." Tilting her head, she said, "It's just the beginning, I've got a lot of work to do on it yet, if I decide to finish it."

"That's amazing Miss. I've never been able to draw."

"Now that I've got all these fine supplies, I'm excited to try some things."

"You know, I can write my name."

Absently, she replied, "Oh, you can?"

"Uh-huh. Here – I'll show you," he reached out for her pencil.

She sighed and pulled out a blank sheet for him to have and gave him the pencil. He put it down on the table and wrote on it, "Here," he said proudly.

"That's just an 'X'."

He nodded.

"But your name is Chip – that doesn't say 'Chip', it is just 2 lines."

"Well – that's what I use for my name. See – I can write too."

She wrote out 'Chip' on the sheet. "That's 'Chip'. That's how you write it."

He picked it up and looked closely at it. "Hm. I didn't know that. Momma always told me I could write it like this-" he pointed to the X. He looked back at it, studying it.

"You know," she leaned back in the chair and squinted up at him, "I bet I could teach you to write that." She pointed. "I mean, not a whole bunch of stuff, just your name. The correct way."

"I don't know," he handed her the paper back and shook his head.

"I think you could do it. It's only 4 letters. You could memorize it." She could see he wanted to say yes, but was afraid to fail. "I tell you what, let's keep it a secret between us. That way, if you learn it, it will be a big surprise. And if you don't, well, no one knew about it anyway, so no one is disappointed. What do you think?"

He slowly nodded, then more vigorously, "Yes, I would like to do that. I would like to show them I can do it."

"Great. Let me start by showing you the first letter-"

"Oh – could we do it tomorrow? I have to finish with the firewood."

"Um, sure. When is good to do it?"

He thought for a moment. "After breakfast, after my chores."

"That's when I'm in the garden. That will work – we can trace letters in the dirt. That way nobody knows what we're doing." She smiled

"Yes Miss, I'll come to the Orchard in the morning." He bounced out of the room.

Her excitement changed to a twinge of anxiety. What if he was not teachable? She just got his hopes up for a big disappointment. She put her head in her hand, "Too late now, I'll just have to do my best."

She drew for a while more, and started getting worried about Beast. She hadn't seen him since lunch, and he hadn't been himself. Walking down towards her room, she ran into Lumiere in the hallway and expressed her concerns.

"I wouldn't be too worried, he is likely hunting in the woods."

She tapped her pencil back and forth on the pad of paper, "What if something happened to him? I mean, those wolves out there, and who knows what else?"

Lumiere chuckled, "They only come out at night, and he can handle them."

"But – he just, he hasn't been the same since we got back. He's upset with me, I-" she shook her head.

Lumiere looked over her shoulder, "There he is."

She spun around and saw him, wet and holding his jacket, padding up the stairs. He stopped a little when he saw them, then looked down and continued walking. He nodded silently at them as he walked by. Belle looked at Lumiere, "See? He's upset." She pressed her lips together and turned quickly into her room. She put her drawing supplies down on her desk and sighed, her hands on her hips. She paced slowly around her room, mulling it over.

Lumiere frowned and followed Beast to his quarters. "Sire?" he opened the door slightly.

"Enter," he pointed, "Please close it behind you."

Lumiere did as instructed and walked slowly up to him as he took out a large piece of cloth and dried himself.

"You went to the lake?"

Beast nodded.

Lumiere folded his hands in front of him.

"I know you too well, what is it you want to say?" Beast turned his eyes towards him.

As Lumiere started to speak, there was a knock at the door, and Mrs. Potts announced herself. Beast took a large robe and strode quickly towards the door as he pulled it on and tied it. Beast opened the heavy door halfway, "Lumiere's in here. What did you see?"

Mrs. Potts lowered her voice, "All her things are back in the drawers, everything. Your mother's silver set is back in its original spot on the dresser. I looked and couldn't see her bag. I'm wondering if she got rid of it."

"Or hid it somewhere."

"I suppose that's possible," Mrs. Potts shook her head, "I don't know."

He took a deep breath, "Thank you for looking for me."

She nodded and left. Beast closed the door and turned his attention back to Lumiere. "So, say what you need to." He started pulling clothing out of his drawers.

"Miss Belle was very concerned about you," Lumiere started.

"Indeed." Beast was solemn, "How so?"

"She senses a change in your demeanor towards her. She is afraid that she has done something to upset you. Has she?"

Beast sat and put his pants on, "What was her reaction?"

Lumiere crossed his arms, he was tiring of these games. "She was afraid something in the woods had gotten you, or that you were hurt. Then when you brushed past her, she became quiet, said you must be upset with her."

Beast put a voluminous chemise over his head, "And she sent you here to find out?"

Lumiere shook his head, "No, she doesn't know I'm here. She said you were upset with her, she didn't know why, and she had tears in her eyes."

Beast stopped tying his shirt and eyed him critically, "Really?"

"Yes, she did." He walked forward, frustrated, "What is going on? Did something happen while we were gone?"

Beast shook his head, "No, you know how I can get in moods sometimes."

"Yes," Lumiere said unconvincingly, "However you forget I know you very well also. There's something going on – all that questioning last night about what she did when we were in town."

"She will say whatever needs to be said to put on the best show."

Lumiere felt his anger bubbling up, "I disagree. She has been honest to a fault since the first day. Confrontational, angry – she has had no qualms speaking her mind."

Beast held his paw up to him, "I cannot say anything else on the matter."

Lumiere let out a frustrated sigh, "Just know, that while we were in town, her thoughts were about here, and about you in particular."

"What, exactly?"

"I cannot say anything else-" Lumiere turned and left perfunctorily.

Beast made a face and put his arm in his coat. He knew Lumiere had a soft spot for Belle. He considered telling him the truth about her packing her things, but decided not to. He knew Lumiere would have confronted her, and he wanted Belle to be comfortable in their own presumed ignorance. The best course of action was a watchful eye.

Beast made a point to be a little more interactive at dinner so as not to arouse suspicion, and afterwards made his way to the library where he read while Belle worked with her paper and pencils. He could feel her continuing to glance over at him, but his pride kept him from acknowledging her. Finally she put her pencil down and walked over to him. "Excuse me, do you have a moment where we can talk?"

He put his book down and looked at her, his resolve cracking under her expression. Usually confident, she was almost wringing her hands, and was biting her lip with uncertainty.

"Alright," she looked up at the ceiling, "I apologize I spent too much money in town. Lumiere said I could buy what I want, but I should have exercised much more discretion. I assure you," she looked down at him, "I am not a spendthrift, particularly when it comes to someone else's money."

Beast shook his head, his face confused. "Belle – "

She held her hands out to stop him, "Most of the things I can return. I don't really need them. I would like Mrs. Potts to have the cookware I got her, though. I can gather my things up now, and Lumiere can return them his next trip to town."

"Belle, stop, please. Have a seat."

She sat on the edge of the wing chair facing him, flushed. Her lips were pressed together and she looked down at her feet.

"Belle," he said softly, "I have no issue with whatever you bought at the stores yesterday. What I told Lumiere was correct – whatever you wanted or needed. Short of trying to buy a piece of land, there's no purchase you could have made that would have upset me in any way. If that had been the case, I would have let you know ahead of time."

She tilted her head and looked up at him, "Really?"

"Yes, really, please do not be concerned for something that is not a grievance."

She furrowed her brows, "Then what are you angry about? You are obviously displeased with me somehow," she looked down at her hands, "It troubles me greatly."

He studied her gestures and words, looking for deception, but despite that making the most logical sense in his mind, he could see none. He let out a long breath, "I apologize for –" he struggled to find words, "giving you that impression." He leaned his arms on the setee, "I – I have moods sometimes…" he trailed off. He watched her look away from him and use her finger to wipe away at her eye, trying not to let him see her do it. "Uh," he reached down for his knee, "I have pain, at times, intense pain from being so large."

She took a deep breath, "You do?"

He nodded, "Yes, my knees ache, my head feels heavy and there is pain. I try to block it out, I usually can, however sometimes it gets to be too much. I did not want to say anything to you about it." This was actually the case. Hundreds of years, he had learnt to deal with it.

"Oh. What do you do to help it?"

"I take hot baths frequently. I – try to let my head lay down during the day," he absently reached up for his large horns. "After a day out hunting, it can be particularly severe."

She sprung up and took a small footstool and sat on it in front of him. She reached out for his leg and with her hands started feeling through his pants for his knee.

"What are you doing?" he started to pull away.

She pulled his leg closer, "I do this for my father when he would have pain, it helps. Trust me." She felt for the bones and the joint, frowning slightly as she was dealing with unfamiliar anatomy. "Around here?" she pressed in with surprisingly strong fingers.

He nodded, stiff with the surprise of her touching him so intimately. Soon she was pressing and moving the muscles around with her hands. "Is that helping?" she looked up at him.

He nodded again, as she continued to rub and he felt his muscles relax under her determined fingers. She stood up and took the footstool around the other side, and pulled his leg out, starting on his other knee. This one went faster as she was now familiar with how large his kneecap was. She continued to massage, pushing harder, "Is that too much?"

He responded with a laugh, "It would take a lot more for you to damage me." She continued for a little while longer, then knelt down on the floor, getting both her hands underneath his knee. He was about to protest when he felt the knots loosen up and blood flow back cool to his leg. He felt her stop, and moved his paw away from his face to look down at her. She said questioningly, "Did that help at all?"

"Yes, very much so, thank you."

She scooted back in her large skirt, and struggled to get up, holding onto the edge of his setee. Beast reached out his paw to help her up. She reached out and put her hand in his and pulled herself up quickly. "Thank you. I hope you feel better now." She kept her hand in his, and looked steadily at him. He felt her hand squeeze his slightly, holding tighter. Then she seemed to snap out her thoughts, "Well," she pulled her hand back and smiled nervously, "I'm glad to hear you weren't upset with me. I can help you with that whenever you need me to," she smiled again and turned and left.

He sat dumbfounded. He could still feel her hands on him, once or twice innocently travelling up a bit farther as she concentrated on her task at hand. His mind was telling him she was a scammer, a charlatan. After all, she'd tried to rob him, right? She could be waiting, biding her time to take a bigger haul. Yet – his instincts felt the grip of her hand on his paw, the hesitation she had to drop it, the blush on her cheeks when she told him she could do it again when he needed. Was she that good of an actress? He pounded his fist on the seat and let out a frustrated grunt. One thing he did know, his massive erection betrayed his inner thoughts and prevented him from following her to find out.

Belle closed the door to her room, out of breath. She held her hands to her cheeks that were on fire. "What was that?" she asked herself. She barely recognized herself. Overly wrought about his opinion of her, entranced by his gaze when she held his hand. She shook her head, the madness of the castle must be starting to affect her. She held her hand to her chest, feeling it heave under her corset. "I've got to get control." She took some deep breaths, and drank some water from her dresser. The pain she'd felt when he'd been cold to her had been nearly unbearable, and that fact bothered her. A few weeks ago, she'd never met him. Why did he have such an effect on her now? "It must just be me. Yesterday was rough." She thought back to how she'd tried to run away. She was still glad she hadn't.

The next morning she'd barely made her way outside when Chip came up and nearly bumped into her. "I'm here." He said.

"What? Oh – the writing lesson. Yes." She gestured to an area between trees that had an open dirt area. She looked around for some sticks and sat down. "Your name has 4 letters – see?" she wrote out _Chip_ in the dirt.

"So we're going to start with the first one," she cleared it with her stick and made a C. "This is the letter 'C' – it's the first letter of your name. It's kind of like a circle that has a bite taken out of it." She smiled at her analogy and turned to him, "Now you try."

He scratched out a circle, then patted some of the dirt down to make it look like hers.

"Um, no, you can't do it like that, erase part of it. You need to learn to write it like this." She made a few more. "Now you try."

He made a few, some closer than others.

"That's a good start. Now the second letter. It's called an 'h' – see like this." She traced it in the dirt. "Try that."

He attempted several, but they were not close, and the two letters unevenly spaced.

"Ok, let's just do the one letter for a while, just the 'C'. Once you have that one really good, we'll move on to the 'H'."

He looked at her, "I don't understand the 'c' and 'h'. My name is Chip. It doesn't sound like that at all."

She shifted back on her heels. "Well, each letter has a name, but it also makes a sound too. 'C' makes the sound of – okay, actually, 'Ch' makes a special sound of 'chuh'. The 'I' says 'Ih' and the 'P' makes a 'puh' sound. Put it all together, and it makes 'Chip'." She smiled at him, as he looked at her with utter and complete confusion. "Look, let's just memorize the way you write it, you know, how you memorized other things like," she snapped her fingers, "How you tie your boots, right? You didn't have to know the name for all the parts of the boot to do it."

"Yeah," he nodded. They worked on it a while more, and he got a bit better at it. She drew a line and showed him how to write it on the top of it. He sat back and rubbed the back of his neck, "I need a lot of practice."

"Yes, but already you can do something you couldn't before, right? That's really good. You should be proud of yourself. And you didn't quit just because it was hard."

He grinned, "Yeah, I can do it good."

"I'll give you some paper and pencil and you can practice on that too. Just do it where no one can see you, right?"

They stood up. "Okay, I will."

She evened out the dirt with her boot. "Take these baskets of fruit back to your mom, that gives you a reason for being out here."

He easily picked up the heavy baskets and started walking away, then turned back, "Thank you Miss Belle. I'm really happy you're helping me."

"You'll get it. We've got lots of time, right?"

He nodded and walked away. She smiled to herself, thinking about how excited he was. Even when he was frustrated, he'd kept trying. "We'll see how far along he gets." She pruned more trees, making her way further back in the orchard. "It really is larger than I'd thought." She walked along the trees, taking big steps over the overgrown brush and weeds. "Oh – look at that-" in a break in the rows of trees she'd found a fence. "This must be the end of the property." She was delighted to see flowers, fine at one time, and now rambling and overgrown, but blooming and beautiful. Different varieties. She smelled deeply into one of the blooms. "So lovely." She took her pruning sheers and cut some, making a bunch in her hand. She admired them as she walked back and towards the castle. It was getting closer to lunch, and she wanted to get them into water.

She breezed in the kitchen, "Look what I found," holding them up triumphantly.

"What?" Mrs. Potts turned around, "Oh, flowers? Where did you get those?"

"At the end of the orchard, by the fence. Lots of them, all different colors." She reached up for small pitcher in the cupboard and filled it with water, arranging them. She put them in one by one, turning it around, making sure it looked even, much to Mrs. Potts' amusement.

"Much more practical to work on the fruit and vegetables." She chastised.

"Oh, come on Mrs. Potts. You can't tell me when you were a young girl that you didn't like flowers."

The corners of her mouth turned up a little, "Well, perhaps."

Belle laughed, and turned to see Beast walking in. She waved the flower in her hand at him, "Hello, ready for lunch?"

He stopped short and froze. "Where did you get that-" he croaked out.

Belle smelled it, "Isn't it pretty?"

He pointed, "Put it back!" he barked.

She protested, "I just found some-"

"Sire-" Mrs. Potts intervened, getting between them on tiptoe to force him to look in her eye, "She picked them in the back garden. It's from there."

He looked furtively between the two of them. "See," Belle picked up the pitcher of flowers, "There were a lot of them at the end of the orchard. I didn't know I couldn't cut them. They were really over grown, actually." She still held the red rose in her hand, and put it down on the table. "But, if you don't want me to do that, I won't do it again." Her expression was hurt and anger. Her joy at finding them and bringing them in the house was ruined by his reaction.

"Adam," Mrs. Potts said softly, "It's from the garden. You remember there used to be quite a lot back there. Your mother grew them, remember? Think back. "

He visibly relaxed, "I- yes, of course."

Belle watched them, bewildered. Beast seemed to snap out of his anger, and fear? Mrs. Potts patted his arm. "So," she said loudly, "Belle found some very lovely roses, all different colors and brought a bouquet in for us all to enjoy. Wasn't that thoughtful of her?"

Belle started, "I won't do it again, honestly if it's going to be a problem." She concealed her irritation poorly.

He slumped down at a chair at the table, leaning back. "No, I apologize for my outburst, it was wrong of me. Please, forgive me." He looked up at her concerned.

Mrs. Potts gave him a glass of water, which he drank, shakily.

Perplexed, Belle squelched the instinct to ask for clarification. "I can take them out-"

"No, please don't. It was nice of you to bring them in, and to work on them. My mother would have liked that, for someone to continue the hard work she put into them."

She nodded. Maybe it brought back too many painful memories of his mother. She put the last rose in the arrangement, and put it in the middle of the table. "There is much hidden beauty at the castle."

"Yes," he said, looking at her intensely, "there is."


	6. Chapter 6

The next week brought a sense of routine to her life at the castle. Belle accepted, at least for now, that she was staying there, and making a life for herself. She continued to work with Chip on his writing, the orchard, and her many interests. She made sure to also contribute where she could – the cooking, helping out wherever she was needed. Beast, still a bit guarded, was starting to open to her, and she enjoyed his intelligent conversation. As he became more comfortable around her, she discovered his quick wit.

Beast struggled with his intense attraction to her. He knew any idea that she may decide to stay for good was an unlikely one, and even more unlikely that she would return his affection in any way besides gratitude, and if he was fortunate, friendship. He decided to enjoy what pleasure having her in his life would offer. She wore the loneliness off, at the very least. He had to push down his desire to allow his ability to enjoy that.

Wanting to expand the small vegetable garden, Belle brought Beast out to agree on a place on the grounds to do so.

"I was thinking over there," she pointed to an area behind the fountain.

"Hm, not really the best – are there any other places you were thinking of?"

"I thought that would work. It's not too far on the edge of the property-"

"Yes, however I was hoping to get the fountain working again."

She turned to face him, "Oh, you were? That would be very nice to see it working. It must be quite magnificent. Why is it broken?"

He rubbed his chin with his paw, "I'm not sure, it happened so long ago. But I'll get Lumiere on it right away."

"In that case, what if I put it over there?" she pointed to a place adjacent to the orchard. "It gets plenty of light, and the ground seems pretty smooth."

"Yes, that will work. Chip can help you get the ground tilled. If you find any large rocks, I can take care of those for you as well."

She smiled and put her arm through his, "It's a good plan. We'll have all kinds of fresh vegetables before you know it."

He smiled down at her. He was still surprised by her touch, though she seemed very casual about it. She walked slowly with him back towards the castle and looked up at him staring at her. "What?" she said with a laugh.

"It is nice to see you happy. Dare I say living here is agreeing with you."

She swung her hat back and forth in her hand as they walked, the long ribbons on it swaying with her movements. "I think so. I have nearly everything I could have to make me happy. That is a great gift, and one that I do not think I deserve."

"That is a strange statement to make."

"Indeed, I am a bit strange – but I thought you already knew that about me."

"Perhaps that's why you fit in here so well."

She laughed again, "Yes."

They had lunch together, then Belle sat with him in the library. She had long abandoned her drawing of the outside view for character studies of Beast. She put some fruit on the table in front of her to pretend to study it as she drew, really looking behind it at his form. She had a few she was working on, but kept the quick drawing of the fruit as the cover if he came to look at it. He had mentioned more than once how he was distressed by his appearance, though he took great pains to keep himself as groomed and well-dressed as possible. She studied his horns, they curled slightly up and twisted. She thought about how he said they were heavy on his head. Wanting a closer look, she put her pencil down and approached him.

"Can I – would you mind if – " she rubbed her elbow with her hand, "I was just wondering if you mind me asking about your horns."

He frowned, "What about them."

She sat down beside him, "Well, I'm just fascinated by them, actually." She hesitated with her hand, "Could I touch them?"

He pulled back a little, "Why?"

"I think they're interesting, that's all. You don't have to if you don't want me to."

He sighed, "No, it's alright," he leaned his head forward slightly.

She reached her hand up and lightly touched the smooth tip, then moving her fingers down the more ridged, thicker part to where it came out of the top of his head. She wrapped her hand around it – it was very hard, and his head moved slightly when she did so. It was just as it would be on a ram's head. "Interesting," she said.

"It does not hurt, or have feeling, just as your hair."

"Hmm, I see." She put her hands in her lap and smiled at him, "I like them."

He raised his eyebrows, "Not how I would describe them."

"Well, I see you differently that you see yourself."

"Indeed – and how is that?" he said skeptically.

Put on the spot, she stammered, "I, well, I see strength and a certain type of handsome." She turned beet red.

He shook his head, "You jest."

"I assure you, I do not. Do you not see yourself that way? I suppose it must be difficult when you are comparing to how you were before the curse and now. I only have now to assess." She knew very little about the specifics of the curse, no one in the castle wanted to talk about it, but she knew at least he had been a man before.

"All there is, is a monster."

She sighed and tilted her head to the side, "That is how the world sees you. Is that what you want me to see? Because I don't anymore."

He looked at her, searching her eyes for truth behind the words. "You've changed too."

"I have?"

"Yes. You are happier, more secure, more joyous. It has had a profound effect on all of us. You look healthier too – not so pale and gaunt."

She laughed, "That's because of Mrs. Potts' good cooking. And – you're right. I am happy here." She sat back and leaned against his arm, pulling her feet up under her. She looked down at the sleeves on his coat, noticing the intricate embroidery and cording on the cuff.

She sat up, "Is Lumiere going to town again soon?"

He frowned, "Yes, likely tomorrow or the next day, why? Are you wanting to go with him?"

She shook her head no, "There's something he was going to pick up for me, I just remembered." The jacket she'd ordered for him should be ready soon

"You might want to remind him, if he goes tomorrow, he'll likely go to bed early to be ready for the trip."

She patted his arm and stood up, leaving the room. He thought over the conversation. Did she honestly see him that way? Handsome? "No," he turned back to the book in his other hand, "She is being polite, there is no way."

The next morning, Lumiere was getting his list ready to go to town the next day. Entering the library, he found only Beast, reading. "Have you seen Miss Belle?"

He shook his head, "She's likely in the garden. She goes in the morning before it gets hot in the afternoon."

Beast went back to his reading, and after a few minutes, heard a loud commotion, yelling at the front of the castle. He put the book down and heading quickly towards the voices, when Lumiere met him halfway, frantic. "She's hurt – something's happened!" he pointed outside.

Beast bolted out the door, Mrs. Potts and Lumiere running behind him. "Where?" Beast looked around frantically. Lumiere ran in between a few trees and called him over. Belle was on the ground, unconscious. "What happened?" Beast bellowed.

Lumiere pushed away a large tree limb that had fallen down, "She has blood coming from her head, it must have fallen on her."

Beast fell to the ground next to her, terrified. Mrs. Potts did what no one was brave enough to do – she leant down and listened for her breathing. "She's alive."

"I was afraid to move her," Lumiere looked up helplessly.

Beast motioned for them to make room, "We've got to get her back up inside." He reached down and scooped her up gently. Her arms swayed limply down as he walked as quickly and carefully as he could inside. They scurried beside him as he started in her room, then backed out. "I'm taking her to my quarters – there's more room in there." He turned around the corner and down the hall, kicking his door open. He looked down at her peaceful face as he gently lay her down on his bed.

"I'll get some water and some cloth," Mrs. Potts left.

Beast arranged her on his bed, cradling her face. She moaned softly. He let out a sigh of relief, "She's still with us."

"How long do you think she was out there?" Lumiere said, looking at the dried blood in her hair and the bruise on her forehead.

"I think at least an hour. I don't know exactly when this happened," Beast put his paw over his eyes, "I should NOT have left her out there alone."

"You had no idea this would happen."

Mrs. Potts rushed in with a pile of cloths and a pitcher of water. "Please, let me take a look at her." She leaned over and washed off the blood from her face and matted in her hair. She gently lifted up the strands to look at the injury. "It doesn't look too deep." She sighed, "It was quite a hit, though."

Suddenly Belle started gagging, and Mrs. Potts struggled to lift her forward, instructing Beast to help her do so. "The basin – the basin!" she pointed to Lumiere, who took the pitcher out and handed her Beast's basin. They leaned Belle over and she vomited into it. "Oh, you poor dear," Mrs. Potts said. She did so a few more times, but barely opened her eyes, flopping back down on the bed. Mrs. Potts wiped her mouth and took the basin to clean it out. "Wipe her forehead with the cool cloth," she said over her shoulder. Beast did so until she came back.

"Should we – should we get a doctor from town?" Lumiere asked.

Mrs. Potts made a face, "That butcher? She's better off in my hands."

"Is she going to be ok?" Beast asked quietly.

"Yes, I think so," she forced a smile. "She's young, and it was a pretty good bump, but she should come around. It may be a day or so, though."

Beast and Lumiere looked at each other wide-eyed. "I will stay with her until she does." Beast took his large chair by the fireplace and put it next to his bed. Mrs. Potts stayed with her off and on during the day. She vomited once more, and she cleaned her up. Under Mrs. Potts' instruction, Beast would occasionally lift her forward and give her a few sips of water. It mostly spilled out of her mouth, which greatly concerned him. He held her hand through the day as it got dark, periodically stroking her arm or the side of her face. He fell asleep at one point, waking up to Mrs. Potts chiding him to get something to eat.

He barked, "I'm not leaving her."

"Go to the kitchen and get something. You're no good to her if you aren't well yourself. Besides, I need to get her undressed and cleaned up."

He nodded and left reluctantly, as Mrs. Potts turned her over and took off her dress and corset, putting a night gown on her. She put a light blanket on top of her and turned to the door, seeing Beast standing with his back to her, "Can I come back in?" he asked.

He slept fitfully in his chair, checking on her frequently during the night, watching for her breathing. She moaned a few times, but other than that, did not regain consciousness. He woke, disoriented as the morning sun streamed in through the windows across him and Belle on the bed. He turned quickly to check on her, realizing her movement had woken him. She was attempting to sit up.

"Wait, Belle," he tried to gently put her back down. She was thrashing around, talking gibberish. He held her with one paw, and reached over and pulled on the cord he rarely used that called Lumiere. He rushed in, with Mrs. Potts fast behind him.

"She's awake," Beast called out to them. "Please, lay back."

Belle opened her eyes a few times, but did not seem to recognize any of them. "No, No," she batted at Beast's arm, "Leave me alone – Gaston, stop!"

"It's me, Beast," he pleaded.

Mrs. Potts got between them, but Belle became combative. Lumiere stood on the other side and made an attempt, "Miss Belle, it's okay, you're safe, you're here at the castle with us."

"Father?" she squinted up at him, reaching her hand out for him.

"Um, yes. I'm here, my dear child." Lumiere patted her hand, looking up at the other two and shrugged.

"Maybe you can get her to drink some broth," Mrs. Potts left for the kitchen.

Beast looked down on her with dismay. "She has a large bump on her head, and the bruising is looking worse." He looked across at Lumiere, "I'm getting an ax and taking out every one of those trees!"

"Sire, don't! She takes great joy in her work in the orchard."

"But look!" he gestured to her.

"I know, but it was an accident. Maybe just shake the trees a little, to dislodge any other loose branches. Be reasonable."

He paced back and forth, "I cannot be reasonable. Nothing can happen to her, nothing – do you understand? I could not bear it." He put his face in his paws.

"Sire, she will improve. It will just take time." Lumiere didn't know himself, but he wanted to believe it. "See? She has calmed down. Come back over here and sit next to her."

"She was afraid of me, I don't want to scare her."

"She was afraid of Mrs. Potts, too. She didn't know what was going on. It will be fine."

Beast did as he recommended, and when Mrs. Potts came back with the broth, he sat her up and was able to get her to drink half of it until she collapsed back down on the bed and back to sleep. He held her hand again, thinking over the endless minutes about how much joy she had brought to their lives. How much he valued her, and felt responsible for her condition.

After several hours, she stirred again, and looked over at him. "Mrs. Potts! Lumiere!" he let go of her hand and started for the door.

"No," she struggled to sit up, propping herself up on one elbow, "Don't go, please," she reached out one hand for him, the other clutching her head.

Beast hurried back, taking her hand, "Belle, are you back with us?"

"What's going on? Ugh-" she gingerly felt around her head, "It hurts so much."

"What do you remember?"

She lay back down, "I had breakfast, and was going out to the orchard. I don't remember anything else." She frowned, "Just some bad dreams after that, I think."

He told her what happened. "You need to rest and stay here. I'll get you anything you need to feel comfortable. Can you eat?"

She shook her head no, then winced and put her hand back up to her head. "I feel like I've been kicked by a horse."

Mrs. Potts came in, "Thank goodness you are awake," she put down a tray of food, "You had us quite worried dear." She looked down at her with relief and gently dabbed a cool wet cloth to her head.

"Thank you," Belle said, and turned and sighed and went back to sleep.

"She is doing better – she recognized us, at least." Beast said.

"Yes, but she needs to rest for a while." She pointed to the tray of food, "Eat, Adam. Then when she wakes up again, try to get her to eat something too."

Beast remained by her side, and later that afternoon, she woke up again and was able to sit up and talk more, even eat a few bites. Beast felt an increasing relief, though her bruising was looking worse. Mrs. Potts had Chip bring in a large pail of water, and had Belle lay on the side of the bed, her head hanging down over the side so Mrs. Potts could wash her face and hair. Beast held her head gently in his paws as Mrs. Potts poured water from the pitcher over the pail. He was shocked by how much the water ran red through her hair and his fingers as she gently rinsed it out, over and over again. She wrung it out and used a cloth to pat it dry, careful to be gentle around the bump.

"Fell better?" she asked her as Beast moved her back in bed.

"Yes, much. Thank you." She smiled at her. She turned back to Beast, reaching out for his hand again. He took it and sat in the chair, asking Mrs. Potts to light the lights in his room.

Belle looked around, "So this is your room," taking it in for the first time.

"Yes, there was more room here for us to help you and keep an eye on you."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry I'm such a bother, I honestly can't remember what happened."

"Please, do not say that. We are all very concerned for you. I'm relieved to see you getting better. Would you not please eat some dinner?"

She frowned, but obliged. She could see the extreme worry on his face. As she nibbled on a tray of meats, cheese and bread, she encouraged him to eat with her. She looked around at all the large heavy furniture. It made her feel very small. Everything was proportioned bigger for Beast. "It's a nice room, very spacious." She pointed to the desk, "Do you do a lot of writing there?"

"Not much anymore, but yes, I do." He was relieved at her increasing conversation and alertness.

"I should let you have your bed back tonight. It must be uncomfortable sleeping in that chair."

"Not as uncomfortable as it would be sleeping on your floor, because if you go back to your room, that's where I'll be."

She smiled at him, "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

He put his hand over hers, "I will not let anything happen to you."

She woke up the next morning, feeling better, and glanced over to see Beast leaning over the side of the bed on his arms over her hand, asleep. She reached over with her other hand and stroked his fur on his head, over the sides of his face. She was touched by his devotion to her.

That day she felt strong enough to walk around, though a bit unsteady. Mrs. Potts helped her change her clothes and do her hair, and too weak to protest, Belle let her. "We can't let it keep getting knotted up," she told her. Belle sat on the edge of the bed as Mrs. Potts knelt behind her and took the brush from the ends up in sections, brushing it smooth and taking it in her hands. "Would you like me to braid it for you?" she asked.

"Whatever you think is best," she replied. She sat still as she gently made two long thick braids and tied some cloth at the ends.

"There, that's not too tight, is it?" Mrs. Potts peered around at her.

"No, it's good, thank you."

The day after that she was back in her own room, and able to do some things indoors. She was shocked by her reflection the first time she saw it. A large purplish bruise was seeping down her forehead from the bump on her head. It was still swollen.

The following day Lumiere went to town, and in the morning she made her way outside. She enjoyed feeling the sun on her face again. Rounding the side of castle, she saw Chip tilling up the area for the vegetable garden. He waved at her, "Feeling better, Miss?"

She walked towards him, "Yes, thank you. Not entirely there, but I'm improved enough. How's this going?"

"Good. You can plant some vegetables here when I'm done."

She nodded, "Looks great," and she kept walking towards the orchard. She was perplexed by the large amount of fruit on the ground, stopping to pick some of it up. Suddenly Beast rushed up, chiding her on going out in the garden so soon. "I implore you, please come back inside."

"I'm not staying out for long, just checking on things. What happened to all the fruit?" she pointed to the ground.

"That happened when I shook all the trees for any more loose branches."

"Oh, I see." She knew he must have done it pretty hard for that to happen.

"Belle, do not over exert yourself."

"I won't. Besides a nagging headache, I actually feel fine. But – I'll ask Chip to pick all this up."

He held his arm out, "Please let me help you back inside."

She took his arm, and leaned against him as they walked slowly back to the castle.

Later that night Lumiere came back from town, with supplies and a cake from the restaurant. He was pleased to see Belle sitting up in the kitchen, peeling a large pile of peaches to be canned, with Mrs. Potts' help. "I got it," he said excitedly, holding up a large package.

"What?" she asked.

"You know, the order you placed."

"Oh," she pushed her chair back from the table and rushed around, "Can I see it?"

He took her in the empty formal dining room, and put it down on the table, opening the paper. "It's lovely, Miss. You made a good choice."

She opened the sleeves of the jacket and unfolded it to examine it, gasping slightly at the fine silver embroidery. She ran her fingers over the soft black velvet. She grinned up at Lumiere. "I love it. I hope he does."

Lumiere re-folded it, packing the brown paper around it, "I'm certain he will. I can put it in your room, if you'd like."

"Yes, please do. I'll give it to him tomorrow."

The next day it rained, so they were all stuck indoors. Belle worked on her drawing, and Beast read, content to keep her company in the library. Lumiere dusted and watched the rain out the window. Chip stocked the fire in the fireplace.

Belle put down her pencils and sighed, "I wish I could play an instrument. We could use some music today."

Beast cleared his throat, "Why don't you place some pianoforte, Lumiere?"

Lumiere spun around, shocked, "Indeed, Sire?"

Belle sat up straight, "You play?"

Beast nodded at Lumiere who delightedly stepped over to the piano and pulled some music sheets out of the chair underneath. He had been forbidden by Beast to play for many years. Sometimes he had snuck in some practice when he knew he was out of the castle, but for him to give him permission to play, it was a delight.

"How about this one?" he arranged the music on the stand as Belle turned in her chair to watch. Lumiere played a beautiful upbeat piece she hadn't heard before. "That's wonderful!" she looked over at Beast who smiled at her. Lumiere played enthusiastically, "I'm a bit out of practice."

"Nonsense – you play very well." Belle stood up and went towards him to watch his fingers move along the keys. "I've never had the talent for that." She admired.

"Do you sing?" Lumiere asked.

She shook her head vigorously and laughed, "Absolutely not. My voice is not one that is pleasing, it's true. I can dance." She offered.

"The Sire is an accomplished dancer," Lumiere looked sideways at him, greeted with a stern frown from Beast.

"Then we should –" Belle walked over to him and curtseyed.

"I should not-" he protested.

"Please?" she held her hand out to him.

"You should not exert yourself."

Belle rolled her eyes, "I am much recovered. You worry about me too much. Come on, just one dance?" she kept her arm extended.

Beast put his book down reluctantly and slowly got up. Belle beamed at him and held her arms up for him. He reached out and took her small hand in his, put one paw around her waist, and started swaying back and forth. Lumiere changed the music to one that was more suitable for dancing. Belle picked up her skirt and swayed back and forth with Beast. Soon he was moving around more, and she was impressed at how for his size he was so adept with his footwork. He let go and spun her around, her laughing as she twirled. "You are very skilled," she complimented.

"It is easy with such a graceful partner." He bowed slightly.

He pulled her back towards him, as Lumiere played the last crescendo of the music. She brought herself into his arms, and hugged him, her face against his chest. He lost himself in the moment, and leaned her over in his arms in a dip. She looked deep in his eyes, gasped her breath in a bit. He was leaning over her, very close. He quickly pulled her back up, and Belle stumbled a bit.

"I'm so sorry, did I make you dizzy? Are you alright?" he berated himself for doing that.

"I'm fine, fine." She held her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. She'd felt it again – a shock through her body. It was if she lost sense of all her surroundings and her heart raced.

He took her hand, "You are pale, you are ill."

"No, no, I assure you, I am not. I enjoyed it very much." She turned beet red.

Lumiere watched her incredulously, "I cannot believe it," he said under his breath.

Beast patted her hand while she continued to protest she was feeling well. Lumiere started playing again, some softer music. Belle smiled indulgently as Beast brought her a glass of water, which she drank to please him. "I enjoyed dancing with you. We should do that more often." She blushed again and took another sip.

"It is difficult in here," he looked around.

"You could use the big ballroom." Chip chimed in.

"The what?" Belle looked at Beast.

"We have a very large ballroom in the back of the castle. It has been closed off for many years." Beast said.

Lumiere spoke up, "It would be very suitable for dancing. There is a piano in there still as well – I have made sure to keep it in working condition."

Beast looked around at all eyes on him with anticipation. "Alright, Lumiere, would you get it cleaned and ready. We can go try it out in a day or so."

Belle grabbed his arm, "I cannot wait. I bet it is very grand."

"Yes, yes, it is grand. But it will only be us there."

"It only needs to be us there." She smiled at him and squeezed his arm.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Belle was surprised early by Beast with a soft knock on the door. She answered in her nightgown, to find Beast dressed and groomed holding out a box for her. "This is for you," he said. "With your injury and illness, I had no time to give it to you."

She took the heavy box and sat it on her bed, untying the ribbon on it. She smiled over at Beast who stood awkwardly by her fireplace. "What could it be? Is it cake?"

He shook his head no, "Open it."

She pulled the string off and took the top off. Pulling away some packing paper, she pulled out an exquisite porcelain vase. "Oh my," she turned it around in her hands, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She looked over at Beast, "You got this for me?"

"Yes. I gave Lumiere very specific instructions last time he went to town. You can put your flowers in it from the garden."

She looked at the delicate gold painting, the flowers hand painted on it. "I've never had something so lovely. What a wonderful gift." She put it down and rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his waist. He was taken aback by her enthusiastic response. He gently put his arms around her. She squeezed him tightly, burying her face in his coat. She knew he felt sorry he'd given her a hard time about picking the flowers in the first place. She finally pulled back and looked up at him, "That was very thoughtful of you, thank you."

He reached down and gently brushed her hair off her forehead. "Your bruise is starting to go away."

"Yes, it's now purple and green, with a bit of yellow." She laughed, "It's still a bit tender on my head, but so much better. I was able to recover with your help. Every time I opened my eyes, you were there for me."

He enjoyed taking care of her, and felt blessed by her gratitude.

"Well, I suppose I should get dressed and meet you downstairs." She picked up the vase, "I'll be getting some flowers first thing after breakfast to put in here."

He bowed, "I am pleased it is to your liking."

Later that day, she came in from the garden, cleaned up and helped Mrs. Potts with lunch. "The master won't be here until later today. He is going out hunting." She looked at Belle, "He hasn't gone since your accident. He refused to leave your side."

"He is very devoted to me, and I am beyond lucky to be here with him."

Mrs. Potts looked at her with surprise. This was quite a turn around considering she'd almost fled a few weeks ago. "Yes, we are all glad to have you here at the castle."

Belle rolled out some dough, sprinkling flour on the table. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Belle pushed on the dough vigorously, "You called him 'Adam'. Was that his name when he was a man, before the curse?"

"I said that, did I?" She continued to chop onions.

"Yes, I heard you call him that twice."

She sighed, "Yes, it was his name, but he does not like hearing it. It slips out sometimes, when he or I are very emotional." She looked up at her, "Please do not call him that, though, It would make him very upset."

"I won't. I would never upset him."

After lunch with Mrs. Potts, Belle went back to her room and arranged her flowers again in the vase he'd given her. She shook her head, she'd never had a present from someone before. She scrunched up her nose, well, except from Gaston. His repeated attempts to win her as a wife had been offensive, unwelcome. He wanted her to be his trophy – and the fact she refused him made him want her all the more – of course, until he would win her, then discard her. She shuddered, thinking how things would have gone differently if he'd been at the wife auction. She'd made sure he was out visiting his aunt in another town that day. She would rather die a pauper in the streets than have him so much as touch her. She decided to look for Beast – maybe he was back early.

Now knowing where Beast's bedroom is, she went down the hall towards it, knocking on it. Hearing no answer, she opened the door. "Hello? Beast?" she heard no response. She took a few steps in and closed it behind her. She'd been in his room when she was ill, but now she was free to look around. She walked through the larger furniture, feeling small again in contrast. "I wonder how big he feels with the furniture in my room. Maybe that's why he always looks so uncomfortable in there." She ran her hand over the large red chair he sat in so many nights, now put back by the fireplace. She looked at the papers on his writing desk. There was a journal – but she refused to be intrusive into his personal thoughts. There was a large tub in his room, almost big enough for her to lay out completely in if it was full. She turned and looked at the bed she'd spent so many days in, recovering. Absently she put her hand to her bruise. It was faded now, and the knot barely there. Looking up she saw his immense wardrobe closet. Curious, she opened it, looking through his many embroidered coats, fine silk chemises, some in cotton. She ran her fingers through them, going towards the back. She pulled out a pink one, curious about its familiarity. "That's the one from the first night!" she pulled it out and looked at the sleeve, seeing the large tear she'd made in it with her knife. She recalled Beast saying she'd torn his favorite coat. She smiled, and pulled it down, folding it up to take back to her room. She arranged the jackets back and closed the doors.

Back in her room she pulled out the sewing kit she'd bought in town and matched up thread to mend the jacket. She thought as she worked on the fine, worn material. Mrs. Potts must not have sewing skills. They had all their clothes made in town. "The jacket!" she'd forgotten about the black velvet she'd had made for him. "I'll give that to him tonight." She imagined his reaction, and how he would look in it. It was a more up to date style. Most of his clothes, and the others, were very old fashioned. She held the pink coat up in her hands to look at it. The silk was worn at the sleeves, not unheard of for a favorite jacket. But still – she looked critically at the style, the cut and choice of embroidery. It was actually very old. She was the only one with newer clothes. Lumiere had some too he wore only when he went to town. She frowned, thinking it over. These couldn't be his father's clothes, they were larger for his frame.

She took the sleeve back in her hand to continue to mend the cut. It was visible, even with her careful stitching. She sighed, looking at it when she was done. "Maybe if I cover it with some decorative stitches to match, it will cover it." She put the needle in the fabric and folded it, putting in a drawer to work on later.

Beast dropped off the game he'd killed to Mrs. Potts and came back to his room to bathe. Chip had brought hot water up to his room, and it was waiting for him in the tub. Beast took his dirty clothing off and lay it on the table Lumiere would later pick up and launder. He knelt down on all fours and shook his fur out. He felt more comfortable in that position, but refused to do so in front of the others. He fought hard to maintain every bit of humanity he could hold on to, no matter what the sacrifice. He stretched and stood up, walking towards his tub, that's when he smelled it – her scent. He thought he was imagining it, but he walked towards the bed, and it was not there, as he would have expected since she'd slept there for so many days. The bedding had long since been changed. Puzzled, he went to his desk and saw a few of his papers were ruffled, and picked up her scent again. Frowning, he walked around his room, finding it on his chair, then towards his wardrobe. Opening it, he was hit by her scent full force. What was she doing in his wardrobe? He looked inside it – there was nothing missing. He closed the doors and, frustrated, got in his tub and lay back, letting the warm water soothe his body. Why was she poking around his room, what was she trying to find? It was troubling.

After he got dressed and ready, he walked past Belle's room, and found it open, as she often left it, and peering inside, found it was empty. He spied his mother's silver set still on the dresser, and looked around for any papers she might have taken. He did keep money in his room, but had forgotten to check to see if it was gone. "Would she dare do that?" he felt anger rising up, and started opening drawers. Nothing in the desk. On the last drawer of her dresser, he pulled and saw one of his coats. "Ah –ha!" he yanked it out and held it up, looking at it. Why would she take this? Confused, he turned it around, looking it over. Hearing footsteps approach, he hastily folded it up as closely as he had seen it, dropped it in and shut the drawer with his foot. He stood up just in time for Belle to walk in.

"Oh, Beast! You startled me!" she smiled, "Did you need me for something?"

"Uh, yes, yes I did." He held his hands behind his back guiltily.

She waited patiently.

"Oh- I was – I thought that I could – show you the lake tomorrow. It's a bit late to go tonight. If you know how to swim, that is."

"I do, I love to swim. That would be wonderful! Is it far?"

"A short walk. Now that you are recovered, I think you could manage it. It's a small lake, more of a pond, really, but very refreshing. The water is usually warm."

"I am looking forward to it." She smiled and leaned on her wardrobe.

"Well," he said a little too loudly, "I must go, I'll come by to take you down for dinner."

"Sure – see you soon," she watched as he hurried out of her room. "Hm, he was acting strange." She thought about how nice it would be to go swimming, though. She'd often gone with her friends when she was a girl to a swimming hole outside of town. Then most of her friends got married, started families, and some moved away. They moved on with their lives, and she was left behind in some ways. The friendships changed. She felt like she never did. She was just content to live with her father and work their garden and take care of things there. Any free time was hers to have – to draw, to read the limited books she could get. She was glad not to have to devote time to a husband and babies. Being a wifely drudge was not her goal in life. She'd rather be a poor spinster. Her life was happily headed in that direction, until her father's drinking, and gambling, she suspected, took most of their funds. It seemed like many years ago, and it had only been a matter of months.

Beast let out the breath he'd been holding. That had been a close call. He rushed to his room and opened the cabinet that held his coins and paper money. Nothing was missing, nothing touched. He did not pick up Belle's scent there either. He looked in his wardrobe, and saw his coats in the back were a bit disarrayed where his pink coat had been. He gathered his thoughts, why had she taken it? It seemed a bit odd.

Later at dinner, he enjoyed her conversation and company, and pushed thoughts of the taken coat out of his mind. They ate some of the cake Lumiere had brought from the restaurant in town. Belle stayed behind to talk to Mrs. Potts, and Beast went to his room. He found a package on his bed, wrapped in brown paper. He started to take the string off, then noticed writing on it, "From Belle." Curious, he pulled the string off and opened it. Black velvet fabric fell out. He picked it up and held up a fine coat, with intricate silver embroidery.

"Do you like it?"

He turned to see Belle peeking around the corner in his room.

"I – it's very handsome. You got this for me?"

She walked forward and nodded, "When I went to town that time, I picked it out, had it made. Lumiere picked it up on his last trip. I thought it would be something you might like." She stood with her arms crossed, "Try it on."

He took off his coat and put his arms through it. He buttoned it up and turned for her to see it. Her eyes lit up, "You look magnificent. I mean – it looks quite good on you." She blushed.

"I don't know what to say, it is" he held his arms out to look at the sleeves, "Very nicely done."

"Do you like the color? I thought it would look elegant on you."

"Yes, very much." He turned to her, "Thank you so much for doing this, for thinking of me. It is a different style than I am used to. I think it's nice to have a change." He started to take it off, when Belle stopped him, "Wait, take a look at yourself in it." She looked around for a mirror, finding none.

Beast took it off, "I don't have any mirrors in the house, just hand mirrors everyone else has." He looked at the coat, holding it up, "It is a work of art, and the silver is a perfect choice." He turned to her and grabbed her hands in his, "Thank you so very much, it's gorgeous, and I can't believe you made the effort to get it for me."

She beamed, "I'm so relieved you like it. I bought it with your money, of course, but I picked out the design and the embroidery."

"I want to save it for something special."

"Oh, in that case," she said with a smile, "for a dance in the ballroom. Lumiere said he had it all cleaned up. Anytime you're ready."

He winced slightly, the ballroom held unhappy memories for him. It was also lined with mirrors, ones he once used to endlessly admire his reflection. He saw the look in her eyes, and didn't want to disappoint her, "Yes, sometime soon."

"I'm looking forward to it, and to going to the lake tomorrow."

He'd forgotten about that, "Yes, the lake. In the afternoon, when it's warmer outside."

"I'll be ready." She turned to go.

"Belle – thank you."

"Of course," she smiled and left.

He looked down at the coat. It was very fine, and it had suited him – the color, the striking embroidery. She seemed to know his tastes. It touched him she had thought to do such a thing. He thought back to what Lumiere had said about when they were in town – her thoughts were back at the castle and with him. This must have been what he was talking about. "Ah – that's why she took the other coat, to make sure the fit was right." He put it on again, and smoothed it down. He would be proud to wear it to dance with her. He would try to look at her only, and avoid his reflection. It shouldn't be too hard to do.

The next day Belle was out in the orchard working with Chip on his letters. He was on the last one, and struggling with it. She had him trace it in the dirt with her. Chip looked up, "Master is coming." She brushed the dirt back and forth with the stick, "Just pretend with me," she told him, "So if we plant tomatoes here, and some green beans in the next row – " she looked up at Beast, "Hello! Is it time to go?"

Beast leaned against a tree and nodded. Chip jumped up and grabbed his tools, "I'll get started on it as soon as the dirt's all ready, Miss." He nodded to her, and to Beast and trudged off. Beast turned to look at Chip behind him, then back at Belle. "He's found a friend in you, Belle."

She brushed the dirt off her hands and reached out for him to help her up. "It's like having a little brother. That's something I've never had."

She walked next to him and talked about the garden she had planned, through a little path in the woods. Before she knew it, there was a clearing, with a small lake, like an oasis. "Oh," she let out a gasp, "I can't believe this is here."

"It's not too deep in this area," he pointed, "But back there close to those rocks it would be over your head."

"That's alright," she sat down and started taking off her shoes, "I can swim in deep water." She took off her work dress and stockings, and down to her bloomers and chemise top, she waded in. Beast took off his jacket and long shirt, hanging them over a rock, as he usually did. He kept his pants on, older ones he used for swimming. He turned to see her already in the water, deftly moving her arms in forward strokes. He stepped towards the edge, in time to see her go underneath, and pop back up, pushing her wet hair off her face. "Hey, come in!" she called out, then stopped, staring at him. It was the first time she'd ever seen him without a shirt on. She wiped the water off her face and watched transfixed as he lowered himself in the water. His figure was covered with hair, lighter on the chest. His strong, muscular shoulders and arms garnered her attention. She had imagined he would look more animal-like, somehow, like his legs and feet did. However, he was the image of strength and man. She treaded in the water silently, laser focused on him until he submerged in and came up, shaking his head back and forth.

She held her hands up as water sprayed on her, then playfully splashed some on him. He stayed in the shallower end, sitting on the bottom, leaning his head back on a rock. He watched as she swam back and forth, and came over to him to talk to him. He felt like a sailor with a mermaid swimming around him. Her long hair loose from its usual braids or updo, trailed behind her in dark ribbons. He longed to hold that hair. She scrambled out and jumped in the deeper end a few times, giggling. He looked up at the sun, "We need to get ready to leave in a while."

She swam up to him, "Do we have to go so soon? It's still light outside."

"Yes, but the wolves, they start to come out close to dusk. We need to dry off and walk back. Better to be early."

"I suppose. You would know what's best." She turned to swim one more lap and he instinctively reached out to feel her wet hair trail through his open paw as she swam opposite. It slipped through as she kept going. She made her way back and stepped up through the shallow end and out of the water. She sat on the grass and twisted her hair, squeezing the water out of it. "I should have brought something to dry myself, a blanket." She lamented.

"I forgot," Beast said, with his fur, it dried pretty quickly. He got out of the water as she threw her hair over her shoulder and lay back on the ground, the sun splashing over her. "Do I have time to dry a bit?" she squinted up at him.

"Yes, there's time." He drew in a quick breath. Her chemise and bloomers were soaked, and clung to every inch of her. She lay in the grass, her hair splayed out, wildflowers around her. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed completely unaware that he could see through the thin white fabric. He put his paw up to his face trying not to look. He sat down a few feet away from her, facing away from her. They were silent for a while, he thought she might have fallen asleep, and turned back to look at her. She was awake and looking up at him, her arm propped behind her head. She quickly looked over at the trees, "I guess I'm ready to go. I'm a bit warmer now." She stood up and collected her clothing. "I'm still soaking, I don't want to put this on," she held up her dress. Beast thought he would pass out, she was a vision, a Venus. Her milky white skin draped in wet white fabric, her long hair nearly down to her knees waved and spilled over her shoulders. He could see her pink nipples and dark hair between her legs.

"I – uh," he pulled off the shirt he was putting on and handed it to her, "Put this on over what you have on. I can carry your dress.

"Good idea," she did so, and put her stockings and shoes on. He walked bare chested, carrying her dress and corset and his coat. His shirt came nearly to her feet. She followed behind him as he led the way back to the castle through the woods. She indulged herself in looking over the muscles on his back and arms as they went. As they came to the clearing of his property, he stopped and looked down at her. His shirt covered her well, much to his relief. She grinned up at him, "We're a sight, aren't we?"

He laughed, "Did you enjoy the lake?"

"Of course. We should go there more often. Then in winter we can ice skate on it."

He guffawed, "You may ice skate. I can watch."

She pouted, "You watch too much. I need to get you to do more things with me."

"Is that how you feel?"

"Yes. It's more fun when you are doing things with me."

"Well then, I will try to accommodate you."

She looked up at his expression and was rewarded with a smile. They walked across the lawn towards the castle, when Belle said, "I tried to run off, once, you know."

He kept walking, looking down, "Indeed?"

"Yes," she became serious, "When we went to town. I had my bag packed, I had taken a few things. I would have paid you back, in time. I'm not a thief."

He nodded, "I'm sure you would have."

She glanced up at him but he kept looking forward.

"Why did you change your mind?" he asked.

"I suppose I could say fear of being on my own, not having a good plan, being comfortable here. But that's not really the reason."

"Oh?"

She squinted up at the castle, "I honestly couldn't disappoint all of you, especially you." She looked over at him. He stopped and turned to face her. "I suddenly didn't want to escape. I didn't want to leave you. You've become – important to me."

He drew in a quick breath. Was it too fanciful to think, perhaps, there was a chance? "I am very glad you stayed. You are very important here, too."

She turned and started running towards the castle, "Race you there!"

He squelched his instinct to tell her to be careful, and gripped the clothing tightly and ran after her, overtaking her and passing her to the castle door. "Not a fair fight – " she protested breathlessly, pointing at him, "You are far taller and stronger than me."

He shrugged, "It was your idea."

They spilled inside and went to their respective rooms to change for dinner.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days later, Belle was walking through the garden when Beast joined her. "So what do you think so far?" she and Chip has worked over the past days to plant rows and set up trellises for some of the vines.

"I think you have done a marvelous job." He looked at her, "You have done so much for the castle here."

"Well, it's the least I can do. Mrs. Potts is so good in the kitchen, but she said she's not interested in gardening. It's something I enjoy, and I have a talent for, so I'm happy being out here. I can make more food for us all," she smiled up at him.

He started to tell her he had more than enough money to cover any food they needed, but he stopped himself and said, "You have many talents."

"I think I have many interests, that's not the same thing."

"I disagree. I think you are too hard on yourself."

She leaned over to pat some dirt over some of the seeds they had planted. "Perhaps."

"You – don't speak much about your life in your village, beyond that of your father."

She shrugged, "Not much I care to remember. If I had been happy, I would have stayed."

"True," he nodded. He couldn't think of any way to ask to work it into the conversation, so he was blunt, "Who is Gaston?"

She shot up straight, "What?"

"Who is Gaston?" he repeated.

She became flushed and flustered, "How do you know about him? He hasn't tried to come here, has he?"

He narrowed his eyes a bit, maybe there was much more to this. "No. You called his name out a few times when you were feverish after your accident."

She looked perplexed and made a disgusted face, "I did? I must have been completely out of my mind."

"It was quite clear."

She shook her head, "What was I saying?"

"You were pushing us away, saying his name. You haven't answered my question – who is he?" his voice became strident.

She sighed and motioned to the fountain, where they could sit. She took off her hat and brushed the loose hairs off her face. "He is a terrible man, let's start with that. He – took an interest in me in the last few years. Tried to get me to marry him. I always refused him."

Beast raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been sure how she would respond to this question, and had been putting off asking her. This is not what he thought she would say.

She turned and looked out to the woods, thinking back. "The more I refused his gifts, his advances, the more determined he was to win me – to own me." She looked at Beast. "He is a disgusting man. When I went up for auction, I made certain he was far away visiting family so there was no chance I would end up with him." She shook her head, "I was seeing things, if I was calling out his name." she frowned.

Beast leaned back, "That is indeed interesting. You were in distress when you were saying it. You called out your father's name, as well."

"That makes sense, but to talk about Gaston - ugh, that's awful. I must have been in a very dark place to think he was there." She looked up at him, "You must have been wondering who he was. Were you thinking he was a past love interest?"

Beast turned quickly to her, exposed. "I – I wasn't sure who he was. That's why I asked."

"Oh. Well – he is not even worth talking about, honestly. He is what comes to you in a nightmare."

He could see the distress on her face, and regretting bringing it up, but he had just had to know. "I won't mention it again."

"And hopefully, neither will I." she mused.

She walked back with him to the castle, going to her room and getting cleaned up from the garden and changed. She thought back over the conversation, and wondered why he had waited so long to ask her about Gaston. "Was he jealous?" she stopped and considered it. He had reacted when she questioned him if he'd thought Gaston had been a lover. She replayed it in her mind. As she tied the ribbons on her dress front and pondered over recent events, over the recent days she thought did see some of that in Beast. She'd been thinking more and more along that line lately, wondering if he was showing some particular type of interest in her. It was important to her, what he thought of her. Increasingly it was becoming important to her that he would think of her as something more. At first she sort of dismissed the idea, but the more she spent time with him, the more it became what she wanted, until it was at the point that she thought of it whenever she was in his company. She was pretty inexperienced with anything of a romantic nature. She'd observed her friends, people around her, but she'd never been attracted to anyone much before. Her freedom and ability to run her life as she wanted had precluded that. It would have taken someone quite extraordinary, and in her village, no one could be described as that.

"But Beast is," she said out loud, and smiled to herself.

Later that evening, she was looking around for Beast. No one quite knew where he was, and he was not out hunting. There was no answer at his door, so she looked again in the library. She was about to give up when she looked down the dark hallway and saw a dim light coming from one of the rooms. Walking towards it, she lightly pushed on the door, and to her surprise, it opened. She slowly walked in, surprised at how large the room was. As her eyes adjusted, she looked around the walls, the furniture. It was dusty, old and abandoned. Curtains were torn, furniture was broken. Some of the paintings on the wall were ripped and broken down on the floor. Frowning, she carefully stepped over some pieces of debris and turned to see the source of the light. In the middle of the room was a table, a large glass cloche covered a glowing object. Curious, she was drawn to it. As she got closer, she saw it was a rose – sparking with light. She examined it – it had a few petals on it, most of them dried and dead, littering the bottom. It seemed to be floating, somehow. She reached her hand out for the glass.

"Don't."

She gasped and pulled her hand back as if it had been burnt by fire. She clasped her hand to her chest and looked over in the direction of the voice. A large dark hulking mass moved, and Beast's voice came out, "You were told not to come in here."

"I – I'm sorry. I couldn't find you, and I saw the light through the crack in the door." She turned back to look at the rose, "What is it?"

"That," he slowly emerged from his dark corner, "Is my curse." He paced across from her, the rose in between them.

"What do you mean?"

He held up his paw, "I cannot tell you exactly. I can say this cannot ever be disturbed, or it would be the end of us all. There would be no reversing the curse."

Her eyes got wide, "It can be reversed?"

He nodded, "Very, very unlikely. I am also unable to discuss aspects of it, or I would further condemn us."

"When you say us, am I included in it?"

He shook his head, "No, just us here originally in the castle. It happened many years ago."

She peered at the rose, wanting to ask more about it. She glanced up at him, watching her carefully, "How many years ago?"

"Two hundred and twenty."

She stood up completely straight, "Wait, what?"

"Give or take a few years. I sometimes lose count."

She swallowed hard, looking again at the rose, then turning her attention back to him. "It's been that long you have been like this?"

He turned and walked away from her, "Yes. For all four of us."

"That's - I can't believe it." But suddenly, so many things started to make sense. Chip's statement of his age, the out of date furniture and fashions, how little known they are in the surrounding villages, the legend of the Beast in the castle. She left the rose and approached him, "It must have been very hard for you, all this time."

"I have, for the most part, accepted my fate." He turned to look at her. "It's time you knew, I suppose." He hesitated.

"But why? Why did someone do this to you?"

He sighed and walked over to the broken bed. He mindlessly picked at the tattered fabric of the bedspread. "Who you see me today is a very changed person from who I was before, not my appearance, of course that is obvious, but who I am. Many years of this curse has had that effect on me. The curse was a punishment."

"I don't understand – I can't imagine that you deserved this."

"It was a harsh punishment, but –" he looked at her and struggled to tell her what he could without revealing too much as to seal his fate. "it was imposed by someone who felt it was deserved."

"Oh, Beast," she walked towards him, "I don't know what you did before, but I can tell you, you are the most caring, considerate, gentle person I've ever known."

He stopped her, "That is most generous of you to say, but not who I used to be-"

"Who you used to be is long gone now. I'm not even the person I was when I first arrived here." She sighed, "Thank you for trusting me to tell me." She reached her hand out for his, to his surprise, and he took it.

He looked down at her hand in his large paw, and up at her kindly smile and became choked with emotion. He'd expected her to recoil, to leave, in fear after hearing his story. Again, she impressed him with her character.

She looked around, "What is this room?"

He collected himself, "It used to be my bedroom."

"Why is it so destroyed?"

"Anger, many of the beginning years were spent in anger."

"But you still come here, why?"

He gestured towards the rose, "I have to keep an eye on it."

She turned to look at it again, and made a realization, "When you saw me holding the rose in the kitchen that day –"

"Yes, I thought you'd found this."

She let go of his hand and reached around him to hug him, "I won't come in here again, I promise."

He stroked her hair lightly, grateful for her.

"Are you ready to go?" she pulled back and asked him.

"Yes, ready." He walked with her and closed the door behind him. She held onto his hand and led him towards the library.

"Let me help you with your pain," she had him sit down and started massaging his knees again, as she had before.

He leaned back and put his paw over his face, hiding the tears that were welling up in his eyes. He'd never been treated so genuinely and compassionately by a woman before, outside of his mother and Mrs. Potts. That this young, beautiful woman was so tender with him, it touched him deeply.

The next few days brought a subtle change to their relationship. There was an increasing trust, breaking down of walls. He felt more comfortable confiding in her, and she was looking more outside herself to him, and the rest of the group at the castle. Knowing they had been caught up in the curse over those centuries gave her a new compassion for them – trapped in time. They weren't cursed to be a beast, but endless life, not being able to be a part of society was difficult as well. She particularly felt for Lumiere, who she now pitied and understood his keeping Claudine at a distance.

Belle brought some vegetables into the kitchen in a basket, as she approached the dining room and entrance, she heard a commotion. She saw Mrs. Potts crying, and Lumiere standing, looking shocked. She put her basket down on the floor and rushed in, "What's wrong what's happening?" she looked around the room at Chip who stood with a guilty grin. Mrs. Potts pulled her apron down, "I just can't believe it," and hugged him. Belle turned to Lumiere, "What's going on, why i she crying?"

Lumiere took a piece of paper off the table and handed it to her, "I'm going to get the master," and left. She looked down at it and saw "Chip" written in uneven, but clear handwriting. She looked up at him as Mrs. Potts held his face in her hands, "My boy, I am so proud of you!" she cried and hugged him again. Chip smiled as he hugged her tight.

Belle put the paper back on the table. She heard Lumiere's voice approaching, "Just come in, Chip needs to show you something."

Beast came in behind him, looking around at the scene, confused. Lumiere pointed to Chip, "Do once more please." He stood with his hands clasped tightly, smiling.

Chip took the pencil up and leant over the paper, taking very careful strokes to make each letter, as Beast watched incredulously. "There," Chip said, standing up, putting the pencil back down, "I wrote it again."

Mrs. Potts took his arm in his, wiping a stray tear, "I am so impressed."

Beast patted his shoulder, "That is a very good job. How did you learn that?"

Chip pointed at Belle, "She taught me."

They all turned and stared at her. Lumiere spoke, "Indeed, Miss?"

She nodded, "Well, he said he wanted to learn, so I helped him with it."

Mrs. Potts rushed around the cutting table and grabbed her in a tight hug, "My girl, you have made us both so happy." She turned back to her son, "You are so very clever, what work you must have put into this." she picked the paper up and marveled at it.

Beast turned to Belle, "You are very generous to have done this."

She waved her hand at him, "He did the hard work. I'm a tough teacher."

"We worked every day – outside in the dirt tracing letters, and she gave me paper to trace and practice. I wanted to quit sometimes, but Miss Belle kept telling me I could do it." Chip smiled. "Thank you."

Belle smiled, "We both did it."

Lumiere took her hand in his, "That was very kind of you Miss." He squeezed it and let go, "Can you show me again, Chip?"

Beast walked over to her, and Belle said, "It was nothing, honestly."

"No," Beast shook his head, "You have given them a great gift, something no one else could do. You are truly amazing."

She smiled, "I'm glad they are so happy."

Later Beast met with Lumiere to go over a list for household items, and Lumiere went over the story, "So I had the paper to write the list, and Chip was saying he could sign his name. I kept putting him off, but he was insistent, so I humored him and he actually wrote it!" Lumiere grinned, "Mrs. Potts could not believe her eyes."

"How many times did you try to teach him?"

"Oh," Lumiere let out a breath, "Too many to count. And that was many, many years ago. I tell you Sire, that woman is amazing. To take that on herself and actually make it happen, and keep it a secret the whole time. Well!" he shook his head.

"I agree," Beast smiled. "She is so kind and generous of spirit. She said staying here has changed her. She certainly is much different from those first days."

"Indeed. Now she is a part of the family here."

"Yes. I'm very happy she's settled in so well. I had no idea it would go this way that day I saw her at the auction."

"Having you hide on the top of the carriage under a blanket when I first brought her back to the castle was worth it then, was it?"

Beast laughed, "It was. She – she has filled a void that I tried to forget."

Lumiere took a deep breath, "Do you think that perhaps –"

"Please don't." Beast answered.

"Sire – there is a chance."

"Don't set yourself up for disappointment. It's not like that."

"You do not feel that way about her?"

"I didn't say that." He stared up at him, "She – she feeds my soul. I struggle to keep down every desire I have for her. It is becoming more difficult. But – I do it. We have become great friends."

"She feels so much more than that –" Lumiere objected.

Beast huffed, "And what do you base this on? Has she said this to you?"

Lumiere shook his head, "No, but I can see it."

Beast snorted, "My friend," he patted him on the back, "I cannot fault you for seeing what you want to see. I wish it were so, but we need to be realistic."

"I saw her reaction to you when you were dancing – she had genuine love in her eyes."

Beast winced at those words. "She does perhaps feel a sort of affection for me, she is very kindly towards me, and very appreciative of all I have done for her. That is not what will break the curse, and you know it."

Lumiere crossed his arms and shook his head, "You are wrong. She is falling in love with you, if she hasn't already."

Beast's instinct was to shout him into silence, but instead, he flopped down in a chair, "I cannot allow myself the disappointment of believing that. We cannot put pressure on her. I won't allow it." He gave Lumiere a look of warning.

Lumiere knew Beast was talking more to himself than anyone. "Understood, Sire. You know I wouldn't do anything to harm her, or put ourselves at risk."

"I do. Thank you, Lumiere."

Belle sat on her bed, working the needle through Beast's pink coat. She used her sewing kit to cover her stitches with decorative needlework that mimicked the embroidery. Vines and leaves with some flowers covered the cuffs, so she used that theme up the line of the repair. Finishing one set of leaves, she held it out to inspect. It was looking better. Her thoughts drifted back to the black velvet coat she'd gotten him. He'd forgotten about the ballroom, or at least, hadn't mentioned it. She made a mental note to bring it up to Lumiere soon. She worked a bit longer, then folded it up and put it back in her bottom drawer. A few more hours of work, she'd be able to give it back to him. She stretched and turned her attention to some recent books she'd pulled from the library. They were more tales of chivalry and romance. She wanted some sort, any sort, of information to help her with how she related to Beast.

A few days later, Beast walked out to the garden, not finding anyone in the castle. He heard voices and cheering, and puzzled, walked to the back beyond the fountain. He saw the group as he approached, seeing Lumiere, his coat off and cuffs rolled up, wielding an ax in his hand. He stood in a fencing stance, swinging the ax a few times behind his head, focused on a point ahead of him, then throwing it. Belle, Chip and Mrs. Potts all turned to watch where it landed. Beast cleared through the hanging branches to see where their attentions were all focused on – there was a large piece of wood, pieces joined together, with a 3 circular targets painted on it. Chip was pulling the ax out of the wood, when Lumiere turned and noticed Beast.

"Sire – did you need something?"

Beast shook his head no and gestured to the target, "Just came out to see what you were all doing."

"Oh," he took the ax back from Chip, "Just a bit of fun Miss Belle made for us."

She yelled out, "Yes, you must try your hand at it as well."

Amused, Beast stood back and watched as Lumiere took another shot, and made it within the second circle of the three. "Yay!" Belle cheered, "That's your best score yet."

"I must admit, I'm getting a bit sore. Perhaps you would like to try, Sire."

He shook his head no, but Belle ran up to him, "Yes, please? It's fun. You, me and Lumiere."

Lumiere shook his head, "Just you two then, I need some time to recover," he moved his arm back and forth, holding his shoulder.

"Come on, let's do it." Belle went over to the side and picked up the larger ax, while she held the smaller one. "I'll go first?"

Beast nodded, and took his coat off, "Alright, I'll try."

She beamed, "Wonderful. We each get three throws." She put the larger ax down, and took the smaller one, skipping off to where she had another piece of wood showing the starting point. She aimed carefully, made a few starting motions, and threw the ax, landing in the second circle.

The group clapped for her as Chip ran to fetch the ax back. She turned and smiled at Beast, "Looks like I'm going to win."

"Oh – is it a contest?" he teased.

"Of course. You don't think I can beat you? I've had tons of practice. I used to play this game as a girl in my village." She took her ax back from Chip, "Thank you." She got in position and aimed carefully again at the target, throwing it skillfully. It hit the bullseye. "Yes!" she held her hands up in the air. Appreciative clapping came from the group. "You'll win for sure, Miss!" Mrs. Potts cheered her on.

She turned and gave Beast a satisfied smile as he looked on with amusement. Chip called out from the target, "The handle is broken."

"What?" Belle said, and walked halfway to meet him, examining the handle of the ax. It was indeed split. "Oh no."

"It was very old, Miss Belle. Lumiere can probably get you another one when he goes to town." Chip held the pieces in his hand.

"Yes, but. Wait – I know." She walked back to her starting point.

"Surely you aren't going to try and use the large ax," Beast looked at her quizzically.

She shook her head with a smirk, "No, not at all. But if you would agree to this substitution," she lifted her skirt up and took her knife out of its sheath on her leg, holding it up.

"You still carry that?" Beast pointed.

"Of course. I use it to cut pieces of fruit to eat, and other things. Plus you never know when you will have a use for it." She twirled it in her hand skillfully. "Do you agree to this substitution?"

"Yes, of course." He answered.

She motioned for everyone to stand behind her, and holding the knife in her hand, moved it behind her once, twice, and let it fly out of her hand. They all strained to see where it landed. As Chip ran over to check, she bounced up to Beast.

"So, if I win the contest, what do I get as a reward?"

"Hm. I'm not sure. What would you like?"

She thought it over. Chip yelled out, "It's in the middle!"

"He means the bullseye!" Lumiere yelled back.

She grinned and turned to him, "How about a hot bath in that huge tub of yours?"

"I suppose, if that's what you would like," he bowed slightly to her.

She rubbed her hands together, "I can feel the heat now, swimming around in it. I can lay down in the bottom and float around." She turned to see Beast pick up the large ax off the ground. Chip brought her knife back to her, and she put it back in the sheath on her leg. Beast walked up to the wood place marker and swung the ax around a few times. They watched silently as he took a big swing and threw it at the Target, hitting it just outside the bullseye. He turned and bowed to Belle, who approached him.

"That's really good. I didn't think you used an ax much."

"I do every so often."

"Hm." She moved back and forth on her heels. Chip brought the ax back and Beast again swung it, this time hitting the bullseye.

"Just once more, Sire." Chip called out as he ran it back to him.

Belle got closer to Beast as he took the ax from Chip and started pulling it back.

"So," he said to her, "What do I get if I win?" he started his swing.

She leaned closer to him, "A kiss."

He threw the ax wildly, the handle smacked the top of the wood and turned several times before thumping to the ground.

"Miss Belle wins!" Chip yelled out.

"Oh, so close Sire," Lumiere said.

Beast turned to look at Belle's angelic face. "Looks like I've got a nice hot swim coming." She smiled.

He shook his head and motioned for Chip to take the ax back to the shed. The group congratulated Belle as they walked back towards the castle.

"Very well done, my dear. That was great fun to watch," Mrs. Potts said enthusiastically.

"Nice win with that knife, impressive," Lumiere said.

"Shame," Belle said, "I was kind of hoping Beast would win," she gave him a sideways glance, and he turned quickly to look at her.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day Beast was talking to Lumiere about the plans to restart the fountain. Realizing it was close to time for lunch, he went back to meet Belle and escort her to the dining room. He didn't do it all the time, but he tried to as much as he could. He stopped by her quarters, she was not there. He went to his own room to put the paper plans away for the fountain, and then look for her in the library. He stopped dead in his tracks, seeing Belle in his tub, humming to herself.

"I – I apologize, I did not know you were in here," he stammered.

She turned suddenly, and moved to the edge of the tub, pulling her arms up out of the water and leaning on it, "I wanted to take my prize right away," she grinned.

"Oh, no, that's fine, I just – I wouldn't have walked in on you." He stood awkwardly with the papers clenched in his paws.

She giggled and dipped down lower into the water. "When I first came here, you used to sneak into my room and watch me bathe," she raised her eyebrow.

"That, well, that was a long time ago."

"Oh? What's different now?" she held onto the side with her hands and bobbed up and down a little. If she crouched in the water, it came up just under her chin.

"I-" he was completely flustered.

She went under the water and came up, wiping the hair and water off her face. "You can come in if you want, I won't pull you in, I promise. Not unless you want me to." She lightly bit on her finger.

Gathering himself, he walked over past her to his table and put the papers down. He stood with his arms crossed, "That's a bold statement. If I threatened to join you in there, what would you do?"

She gasped a little, it was the first time he had countered her banter. "I suppose I would make room," she turned beet red. Her wide eyes belied her bravado.

He laughed, "I'm going down for lunch, I'll see you later." He turned and left.

She frowned and went back under the water. She felt at a loss with flirting. The women in the romantic novels she read would faint or swoon, or gossip with their friends about their love interests. Real life did not reflect that at all, especially here. She tried to follow the men's behavior in the stories – more straightforward. That she could relate to. She was woefully out of her league, and had no one she could ask advice from. She took her soap and lathered up her hair. She had purposefully not told Beast she would be in there today, hoping he would walk up on her. Perhaps she should have taken him up on the offer of joining her in the tub. "Well, I sort of did, actually." She rinsed her hair under the water and stood up, reaching out for a cloth to dry herself. As she tip toed out and continued to dry off, twisting her long hair in the towel, she wondered how she should have responded to his comment. She shook her head, "He wasn't serious about it." She huffed, taking her robe and pulling it around her, tying it tightly.

Her bare feet padded on the elaborate carpets back to her room. Inside, she put her clothes on and left her hair damp and hanging down her back, remembering how he had commented on it once before. She looked in the mirror, as if looking to her own reflection for advice and an answer. "Maybe he does not have any of those feelings." Not liking that conclusion, her mind sought back over the past weeks for evidence of the opposite. "No, he must just be shy, insecure. Think of how difficult it must have been for him all these many years." She resolved to be more encouraging, rather than joking. He could be taking the wrong cues from her.

Beast raised his eyebrows at her appearance, not used to seeing her around with her hair down. She caught his look, saying, "I need to let it dry. You said once you liked it down like this, did you not?"

He nodded, "Indeed, it accentuates your beauty."

She stopped, "What? My what?"

He put his spoon down and looked at her matter-of-factly, "Your beauty. You have very pleasing features. Your skin is porcelain, your dark hair contrasts on it. Your figure is- well, it is-" he coughed, "Very nice." He put his head back down in his stew.

She sat down, "I am very flattered, thank you."

"It is not flattery," he said pointedly, "It is the truth. You have a mirror in your room, do you not see?"

"I suppose not. Seeing myself through your eyes is a more pleasant experience." She took some of the stew out of the large bowl in the middle of the table in her empty bowl. Her recent conclusions in mind, she responded, "I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, as well."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And what would that be?" he continued to eat without looking up at her.

"You would see a man of highest integrity, kind, generous, considerate. You are protective and caring. Intelligent and funny. And strong and handsome."

He let out a little snort and started to argue, but she stopped him, "As you said, do you not see? I see it." She looked at him steadily, and resisted the urge to cajole him with a joke.

"I appreciate that," he said simply, and continued to eat. She could feel her heart beating in her chest. She didn't have to have a special strategy or romantic poetry to her language, she just needed to be honest, be herself, and allow him time to open up. She felt a bit of excitement that she felt she found a way to navigate her feelings.

The next day she was working late in the orchard. She had finally made it through to the end of it, clearing all the undergrowth and pruning the trees. The vegetable garden had taken her away for a while, but that was now established, so she had turned her attention back to the fruit trees. She had been delighted to find some cherry trees back there, and was taking some fruit off last minute. She wiped her hands on her apron and picked up her overflowing basket. Hearing a noise, she turned, "Beast?" No answer. "Must be a deer." She kept trudging, struggling with the weight of the basket when she saw fast movement out of the corner of her eye. She gasped a little and turned, "Chip?" she looked all around her and saw nothing. Noticing it had started getting dark, she picked up her pace for the clearing. Within seconds, she heard it – panting, rapid footsteps. She turned and saw a large wolf, pacing. Panicked, she slowly put the basket down and started backing away from it until she noticed there were more. She turned and saw she was surrounded by at least 4, maybe more. They were circling around her, getting more and more hyped up, stalking her, starting to snap and snarl. She'd seen wolves before, but as Beast had warned, these were much larger and more aggressive than anything she'd ever seen. She backed up against a tree, looking to see if she could climb up it. She turned and scrambled up a few feet, but one of the wolves bit at her dress and yanked her down. She screeched out, "Beast! Beast!" at the top of her lungs.

Inside the castle, Beast had been looking for her. "No, she hasn't been in the kitchen." Mrs. Potts said.

Chip offered, "She was in the orchard last I saw. That was before it got dark."

Beast felt terror grip him, "She's out there in the dark!"

Chip nodded. Beast raced out of the kitchen, throwing open the castle main doors. He ran out towards the back lawn. "Stay here!" he yelled at them. He pushed branches away as he sprinted through the trees.

Suddenly Belle's scream tore through the air, "Beast! Beast!" he dropped down on all fours and galloped towards the sound, and her scent.

Belle had pulled her knife out and keeping the tree to her back, was jabbing and screaming at the wolves, but they had flanked her, and she knew she was losing. "Beast help me!" she strained her voice to scream as loud as she could. She jabbed her knife at one of the wolves' face, when another bit her ankle and dragged her to the ground.

"No!" she screamed, covered by one of them, but feeling strong arms around her, she realized it was Beast who had pounced on her and was now growling and swiping his paw at the wolves. His talons were now protruded, something she'd never seen before, and she watched through her hands as he sliced at the wolves, as they yipped in response. She huddled underneath him as he held her down and close to him, she felt his strength as he battled the wolves. Suddenly he roared and she felt him let go, turning over, she saw one had jumped on his back, biting and clawing at him. She looked around frantically, seeing a tree branch on the ground, picked it up and started to approach.

"No!" he yelled at her, and grabbed his paws up over, pulling the wolf off his back and slamming it down on the ground. He picked it up and snapped its neck, as the rest of the pack were withdrawing, slowly. He ran them off, roaring at them. He stood, panting and on all fours. He turned to Belle, who stood still holding the large branch, stunned. He approached her, and sat, taking her hands in his, looking her over, "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

She nodded, tears starting to spill out as she threw her arms around his neck, "I thought I was dead," she buried her face in his jacket and hung on tight. He held her tightly, "Let's go. They might be back." He picked her up and carried her back to the castle, stopping only once they were inside and Lumiere had closed the door behind them. He gently put her on the ground and turned her around, as the rest of the household, alarmed, looked her over also.

"I'm, I'm okay. You caught me just in time. One of them got my ankle," she pulled her skirts aside to look at her torn stocking. She pulled the fabric aside to see some scratches, but no broken skin. "It's fine."

"But Miss, you've got blood all over you," Chip pointed.

She looked down and saw it, dripped on her shoulder, and looked up at Beast as they all did, and noticed he was covered. She gasped. "You've been hurt!" she had him sit on the floor and they took what was left of his jacket and chemise off, seeing deep gouges and scratches all over his back, his neck. She paled, "Oh no!"

"I'll get some water and some cloths," Mrs. Potts ran off.

Beast protested, "It's not that bad."

"Sire, it is quite severe in places." Lumiere examined his neck.

Belle started to feel faint. Beast grabbed her, "It looks worse than it is, I assure you. Some of that blood is the wolves'."

She wrenched herself away from him, moving to his back to look. She gasped, running her fingers on his fur, seeing the blood oozing out. "We've got to help him."

"Please, lie down," Lumiere said. Beast, not wanting to upset Belle more, did so. "What happened?" he asked.

"I was out later in the orchard that I thought, and I was surrounded by a bunch of wolves," she ran her hand over her hair, shaking, "I tried to climb up a tree, but they dragged me down. He covered me, and they attacked us."

"So most of the wounds are on the back then." Lumiere moved away as Mrs. Potts approached with Chip, holding a pitcher of water and cloth strips. She ran the water over his back as he winced, blood pouring in rivers and puddling down on the floor.

Belle clasped her hands over her mouth, "It's all my fault, he was trying to protect me, if anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself."

Lumiere put his hand on her shoulder, "He'll be fine, he's been injured before. He heals better than a man would."

Her face contorted with worry, she leaned over and helped Mrs. Potts clean the bloody, matted fur. "Check his neck," she directed. Belle nodded, but Beast protested, "No, it's too much for her."

"Please, let me do something, I can do it." She pleaded. She walked around to the front of him as he lay on his side, and examined his neck, "No puncture wounds, just some scratches." She had him turn his head to the side and examined the other side, pushing the fur aside with her fingers, looking. "A couple of small puncture wounds, but very little blood." She turned his head back, and went around to where Mrs. Potts was taking another pitcher of warm water from Chip and pouring it over his back. "This is the worst one here," Mrs. Potts pointed to his shoulder. "I'm going to put some padding around it, and Lumiere, help me turn him so I can wrap it." She deftly wrapped long strips around his shoulder and over his chest and back around several times, holding the padding tight to stop the bleeding. She leaned back, "I think that will hold you for tonight."

"Can you stand?" Lumiere asked.

Beast nodded and turned over on all fours, then slowly pushed up with his paws and stood up. Belle felt nauseated looking at the large amount of his blood on the floor. Beast saw her reaction and quickly reached out for her, "Would you help me get to my room?"

"Yes, of course," she took his hand, and Chip came over to his other side and they both walked with him to his room, where he sat on the edge of the bed. "Thank you," he said weakly, the effort to walk back to his room fatiguing him. He reached out again for Belle, who looked down as he drew her closer to him. "Please, do not blame yourself."

"But I do," she started to sob, and he pulled her into a hug.

"I'll go help them," Chip said, leaving.

He held her until she calmed down. "That must have been very frightening for you," Beast said.

"I will never stay out even close to sundown, ever again. I didn't mean to," she looked up at him, tears staining her face.

He wiped the tears off with his finger, "Please, it's going to be alright. Like Lumiere said, one benefit of being a beast, I heal quickly." He sighed, "I have a hard time getting over that I almost lost you." She turned her face up to his as he held her face in his paws, "I cannot live anymore without you, Belle."

She sahut her eyes tight, and held onto his arms as he held her face. He ached to tell her he loved her, but he was forbidden by the curse to say those words first. A woman's confession of love and a kiss of true love – it was required to break the curse. But. if he did either one first, he would seal all their fates and live as a beast forever. He moved his hands down to her shoulders, "You are very important to me, very important here."

She nodded, "I feel the same way." She wiped her eyes.

He hesitated, would she say more? He shook his head, pushing the thought away. He refused to take advantage of her situation for his own benefit, even if time did run out. "I – I could use a drink of water, something to eat, do you think you could get me something?"

She nodded, "Yes, definitely, I'll get something from the kitchen and be right back." She gave him a little smile and rushed out. He hung his head down, stretching his shoulders and feeling the pain from the wounds. It would heal, he would be alright. He couldn't stop thinking about how close he came to losing her. He chastised himself for not checking on her more frequently, stressing the importance of her coming back to the castle before dusk. He put his paw over his eyes, to have his heart taken so completely by this woman awakened new levels of joy, but also depths of pain.

Belle rushed in the kitchen and grabbed some bread, some cheese, dried meats, and repeatedly opened cabinets. Mrs. Potts asked, "What can I do to help?" as she washed the blood off her hands after cleaning up.

"I'm getting him something to eat," she slapped her hands on her dress in frustration, "Where's the canned fruit?"

"I'll get it, and I'll finish getting this ready for both of you. You go change your dress and get cleaned up, I'll bring it to your room and you can take it to the Master, alright?"

Relieved, she nodded, and Mrs. Potts dried her hands on her apron and gave Belle a hug. "That was quite a scare, but you are both safe back at home, and everything will be alright, ok?"

Belle nodded, "Yes," and took a deep breath. "You're right."

Mrs. Potts gave her a pat, and sent her back. Belle walked slowly back to her room, looking at herself in the mirror for the first time. She had dried blood on her face, tracks of tears cutting through. She held the mirror down to see Beast's blood on her work dress sleeve and shoulder. She quickly took a rag and the pitcher in the basin in her room and scrubbed it off her face and arms after stripping down. She changed into a chemise and robe, slippers, and answered Mrs. Potts' knock at the door. Thanking her and taking the tray of food and wine, she made her way back to Beast's room. By now he had changed as well, and was propped up on pillows in bed, his arm covering his eyes. He quickly looked up as she knocked timidly on his door and peeked around the corner. "I've got something for us, Mrs. Potts helped me get it together." She brought it over to the bed and climbed up, sitting next to him. She took a deep breath and smiled, "She said we both needed to eat."

"Good idea," he said. He mostly had sent her off to calm her down and give her something to focus on, but now that she was there with the tray, he would make an effort. They nibbled on the cheese, meats. She buttered some bread for him. "Does it hurt really bad?" she looked concerned.

"Not so much, the bandaged one is the worst. I'll be fine." He took a bite of bread, "This is nothing compared to when you were knocked out by that branch. I sat here with you for days. I've never worried so much in my life."

"Like Mrs. Potts said, we're okay now, everything's going to be fine."

"I feel like I need to keep a closer eye on you, stay with you more, but I don't want to smother you."

She shook her head, "The branch was just a strange accident. The wolves were my fault – a mistake I won't make again."

They talked some more, ate and drank wine. The stress of the day finally caught up to her, and she leaned back on him, falling asleep. He stayed that way for over an hour, enjoying the feel of having her so close, her heat. She stirred and woke up, looking around, "Oh, I'm sorry," she laughed, "That was a rough day, and you were very comfortable."

He resisted the urge to ask her to stay, instead encouraging her to head back to her room for the night. She scooted off the bed and took the tray and wine bottle, putting it on his table. She came back to his side, "Is there anything else I can do for you before I turn in?"

He shook his head no. "I am doing much better, thank you."

She patted his arm, "I'll be in early to check on you," and turned and left.

Belle's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun streamed into her room. She sat up with a start, and quickly jumped out of bed. She grabbed her robe and tied it loosely around her as she walked briskly to his door. She knocked loudly and not waiting for his response, went in. Beast was asleep in bed, picking his head up off his pillow to look at her blearily. She went over to his side and stroked his forehead, "How are you feeling this morning?"

He stretched and grimaced, "Better." He put his arm down and looked at her, "You're up early."

"I told you I would be. Can I take a look at your back?"

He sat up and groaned, "Yes, go ahead."

She scrambled up in his bed and on her knees as he leaned forward, examined the punctures and gouges from last night. To her amazement, they were scabbed over with little redness.

"My word, you were right. It's looking much better," she said happily. She moved him forward a bit more to get a better look. She gently pulled the bandage strip off his shoulder, "I'm going to look at this one now, ok?" He nodded as she peeled the bandages Mrs. Potts had padded on it. It had still not healed together, but had largely scabbed over.

"Ow, that pulls." Beast cried out, then said, "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

She put it back and put the bandage strips back around his chest. "It looks better, but that one, I think she needs to clean it again and put fresh bandages on it. Over all though, much better." On her knees, she moved around to face him. "I'm so relieved."

He leaned back, and reached out for her arm, "That's good."

She tilted her head and looked closer at him. She scooted closer and reached out for his face. "You really protect me. You saved me." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. She turned to look at him, into his eyes and hesitated, then moved in and kissed his lips. She pulled back slightly, then kissed him again, her heart racing, she felt him respond back to her. She moved one knee between his legs and reached up her other hand to his chest. He held onto her shoulders and pulled her away. "No, Belle, don't – you don't have to."

"I know I don't have to," she closed her eyes and started forward, intoxicated with the moment, but he pulled her back more forcefully. "No." he shook his head at her, "Don't."

She sat back on her knees, confused.

"I don't want you doing that."

She drew in a sharp breath and bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I –" she felt sick to her stomach, "I'm sorry," she shook her head and got off the bed and hurriedly ran out of the room. Beast put his paw to his forehead, closing his eyes, he couldn't believe she had done that.

Belle raced back to her room and shut the door, holding her hand over her mouth. She had never kissed someone on the mouth before, but it had felt like she was doing it right. She could still feel his soft lips, his heat, the tickle of his fur on her face. He had kissed her back, what went wrong? She closed her eyes in embarrassment. She could feel the heat rising on her face. She had vastly overstepped, he must not feel that way about her. Now she had put him in an awkward position. She flopped down in her chair, putting her elbows on her desk and holding her head in her hands. She felt the tears well up, and let them fall. Now she knew he did not return her feelings. He had rejected her, forcefully. She replayed the scene over and over in her mind. It was awful. "I was mistaken," she wiped her eyes angrily at her indiscretion, wondering how she could have misinterpreted so wrongly. Finally she admitted her lack of experience must have been her downfall.

She stayed in her quarters way past breakfast, too mortified to face Beast, and also trying to let the puffiness of her eyes go away. Knowing she couldn't stay in her room forever, she finally went down and went straight to the library. Beast walked up on her as she was pulling different books down off the ladder. He approached slowly. Belle saw him out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look at him, smiling broadly and said a little too loudly, "Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. Did you have Mrs. Potts look at your back?"

He held his paws together in front of him, "Yes, she did. She washed it and cleaned it up, re-bandaged it. She said the same as you, that it was healing well."

"Oh wonderful," she jumped off the last rung of the ladder, "I'm glad ." she had a frozen smile on her face. The silence was deafening.

"Belle-" he started.

"So," she held her book up, "I'm looking at architectural books. I thought we might build a greenhouse out back. Would be nice to have something growing during the winter months, don't you think?" she thumbed through the pages, "I was thinking of something maybe like this," she showed him.

"Belle," he said.

"Or maybe this," she showed him another drawing, "but, we could always come up with our own." She put it under her arm, "I'm going to get something to eat," she brushed past him, but he held his hand out and stopped her, holding her arm. Her shoulders slumped and she looked down, quiet.

"Belle, please, come talk to me."

"Please, let's just forget about it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have, and let's just go back to before I did anything." She pleaded.

He sighed, "It's not that easy. Can we talk, please?"

She reluctantly turned and stood in front of him. "There's nothing to say." She frowned. Why was he making this so difficult?

He sat on the arm of the couch and sighed, "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you do that with me."

She pressed her lips together, mortified, "Yes, I understood you clearly when you said that."

"I – I would never let you try to repay me, it's not right."

She looked up at him, "Repay you?"

"Yes," he continued, "You don't owe me anything."

She was perplexed, "What do you mean, 'owe' you."

"Well, what I said. You don't have to put yourself out there like that, just because I take care of you."

She set her jaw, raising her voice, "Are you saying – wait, are you saying that I am trying to give you myself as, as a payment?"

"Uh, well, yes."

Her eyes flashed and she slammed the book on the table, "You," she pointed at him, shaking with anger, "are you serious?" she made a fist with her hand and slammed it on the table, "Who do you think you are, who do you think I am?" she started to shriek.

Beast looked down the hall, knowing the others would hear, "Come on, let's go talk in private, please." He put his hand on her shoulder, but she yanked back. He walked down the hallway, motioning her to follow him. She stomped after him, fuming, as he opened a door across from the room that held the rose. He walked inside and waited for her, closing the door behind her. She looked around, it was a smaller room, a library too. There was a desk, a few chairs, the size of a bedroom.

"What is this room?"

"It was my study as a young man."

She nodded and crossed her arms, "Ok, go ahead then. You were in the middle of insulting me."

He sat down in a chair, to not impose his figure over her in the small space. "I don't think I was clear-"

"Oh, I think you were perfectly clear. You believe that I was kissing you as a way to, what was it? Repay you." She leaned forward, punctuating his words back at him.

"Don't forget you sold yourself at a bride auction."

She held her hand up to slap him, and instinctively he put his arm up and she smacked it, hard. "I'm leaving," she tried to push past him towards the door, but he had a grip on her hand, "No, wait. That was incredibly rude of me, and I am not saying what I really want to say. Please – forgive me, that was absolutely uncalled for, and I won't say anything like that ever again."

Furious, she pressed her lips together, and as he let go of her, she turned and sat on the edge of a chair, arms crossed tightly in front of her, "Go ahead and say what you want to say so I can go."

He started pacing, thinking of how he wished for once Lumiere was there to advise him. With everything he did or said that morning, he was making everything infinitely worse. "I think I would be better off letting you talk."

She held her hand out, "I have nothing to say."

"Could you tell me what you were thinking when you kissed me?"

She closed her eyes in frustration and embarrassment. "What do people usually think when they kiss someone? I mean, I know I'm not an experienced person, but it usually means they are attracted to someone. I'm not a prostitute if that's what you are trying to say!"

He put his paw over his face to calm himself, "I know that."

"That was the first time I ever kissed a man on the lips, just so you're aware." She turned and looked out the window.

"I – I am flattered."

"To rephrase you – 'It's not flattery. It's the truth."

He realized she was incredibly more angry than he thought, and his efforts to calm her were not going well. "I just wanted to say, was trying to say, that you don't have to show me that type of affection out of thanks or a sense of duty."

She furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes at him, "Well, thank you for that." She stood up, "I can tell you, don't worry, it won't happen again." She started to storm off, then turned at the door, "I honestly don't know who you're insulting more – me for saying I used romantic affection as a repayment for everything you've done for me here, or yourself for thinking so little of yourself that you are not capable of engendering a young lady's affections. If you don't have those feelings towards me, it would be better for both of us if you would just be honest and say so. Good day, Sir." She opened the door and stormed off.

Beast sat stunned in his chair. "I was just trying to help her." He couldn't see where the conversation went so wrong – she seemed to get hung up on a few words he used, and took off with assumptions. That's not what he meant at all. "Urrrghh!"' he stood up and shook his hand in frustration.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed some food and went out to the garden. She attacked the weeds in the garden, around the fence by the roses. She refused to come inside, until it was later in the afternoon, and with yesterday's attack in mind, she grabbed the bucket of cherries and lugged them in the kitchen. She silently cleaned them as Mrs. Potts talked away, oblivious to her anger and pain.

Beast had sought out Lumiere's counsel. "You said WHAT to her?"

Beast sighed, "I meant she didn't need to feel some sort of sympathy or obligation to me to do that."

Lumiere stared at him. "She kissed you, and you made her stop?"

"Yes, I didn't want that type of affection."

"But what makes you think that's what it was? You made an assumption. How did she react to what you said?"

Beast recounted the conversation in his study. Lumiere had to sit down, he was so shocked. "I hope," he tried to stay calm, "That you understand now your egregious mistake."

"I know she misunderstood me."

"But you said sympathy, obligation, which isn't good, but then the words you said you used with her were repayment and duty – Sire, you must understand how insulting that was to her."

He picked at the fabric on his chair. "But – it had to be said."

Lumiere leaned forward. "What she said at the end was the actual crux of the situation, don't you see? That you insulted her, but insulted yourself by not believing her affection could be genuine."

He shook his head, "There's no way it can be."

Lumiere sat back in his chair, frustrated. "You are letting your fear cloud your mind, and your logic. She said she was giving you her genuine affection, and you threw it back in her face, how could you? At the very least be considerate of her feelings."

Beast covered his eyes with his hand. He went over her reactions, what she said. "But – she could just be saying that." He said quietly.

Lumiere shook his head tiredly, "I can tell by your voice you don't even believe that. She has no reason to make a pretense or feel like she is in a position where she would need to put those airs on with you. Where is she now?"

He took his hand down, "Uh, I think she went outside. I saw her in the garden a while ago."

"I'm sure after yesterday's events she won't be out there too much longer. You need to collect yourself and go talk to her."

Beast looked down, "I do not wish to-"

"I don't care what you don't wish to," he glared at him, speaking in a tone he rarely used with him, "You are going to do it, and be kind and apologetic. And be honest – she deserves that. Yes, yes, I know what you can't say, but you can also say other things that will make the situation better."

Beast nodded reluctantly, and left Lumiere's room. He went back to his room for a while, thinking over what Lumiere said. He thought back to Belle's comments. Is it actually true? She said she was attracted to him, that she wanted to kiss him. It had been heavenly, a dream when she did that. He took deep breaths, he was about to make himself more vulnerable than he possibly ever had.

Beast sought her out, finding her in the kitchen helping Mrs. Potts make pies. He stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Something we can help you with, Sire?" Mrs. Potts chirped.

"No. Actually, I was here to talk to Belle."

"I'm busy." She rolled out the dough.

"Oh, that's okay dear. I can finish up, you go talk to him and you can always come later if you want." She held her hand out for the rolling pin. Belle gave it to her silently and took her apron off, walking past him and out in the hall. She crossed her arms, waiting. "If you could join me in the formal dining room, please." She raised her eyebrows, and followed him there. She hadn't been in this large room since she first came. It was just as dusty and stuffy as she remembered. She now knew it had probably been two centuries since it had been used. She sat down at the table. He sat across her. "Thank you for agreeing to talk to me," he started.

She nodded, tiring of the emotionality of the last 24 hours.

"I, I am afraid." He caught her attention with that. She looked up at him.

He cleared his throat and said, "I am afraid. Afraid of what you really think of me. What you think about me." He looked over at her. "You were right, I don't think I am capable of winning any one's genuine affection."

He shifted in his chair, "When I was a man, before the curse, I was very vain, conceited and inconsiderate. I haven't changed much since then."

She started to object.

"No, please, let me explain. I cannot imagine someone seeing past my outside appearance. I put my own thoughts of vanity on others. On you. And, you were right when you said that is a great insult to you. You are a much better person, and the fact that you got angry and let me know, is a testament to your character. You refused the unfair assumptions I put on you. I definitely do not deserve you." He got a little choked up. He tapped his finger on the table, "I came up with my own reason why you must be showing me that affection, in my mind it was the only logical conclusion. My own fears lead me to that, not your words or actions. I am so very, very sorry."

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I accept your apology."

He nodded, "Thank you." He moved back his chair and started to get up.

"Wait-" she said, "We haven't sorted this out, yet."

He quickly sat back down.

She looked at him directly, "What do you feel? What would you like to happen?"

He saw the vulnerability in her question. Again, he wished he could say what he really wanted to. What had Lumiere said? There were things he could say. "I hold you in great esteem and have great affection for you. I had always thought you thought of me in a fatherly way. That is not the case?" he glanced up at her.

"I think we started slowly, a friendship at first. I can't say exactly when that changed, but I do have genuine romantic feelings for you. I mean, I was hoping it would be something we could explore. I thought you felt the same way, or I never would have been so bold as to kiss you." She blushed furiously and traced her fingers over the lace tablecloth.

He felt his heart race. "Belle," he chided himself – _be careful with what you say_. "I do feel the same way. I beg your forgiveness and ask humbly that you allow me to try and live up to your assessment of my character."

"So, you are saying that you are interested? And you know I'm not feeling like I have to or I am obligated to, right?"

"Yes, absolutely, to all your questions. I said some very unkind things to you out of my own fear, and I cannot apologize enough."

"Um, well, then, I say, I forgive you." She smiled.

He felt a wave of relief, and reached out for her hand. She held it in both of hers.

"You know, I really did want to join you in my tub." He said.

She laughed, "Then next time."

He squeezed her hands. She pulled them out, and walked around the long table over to where he was. She leaned into him and he held her tightly in a hug. He allowed himself to hold her further down on the small of her back, and rub his other hand on her back. The change was subtle, but there, and now on both sides. She finally pulled back and looked up at him. He was the one now to lean down and kiss her. She tentatively met his kiss back. She felt again the intoxication of his kisses, and even more so as he responded to her and didn't stop. He pulled back, smiling down at her. The excitement of it filled her thoughts. What was going to happen next? She was a little scared, but overwhelmingly happy.


	10. Chapter 10

They ate dinner together soon after that, making small talk about the garden, Lumiere's upcoming trip to town, all the while sneaking smiles at each other. Beast delighted in seeing her shy smiles when he looked at her. They retired to the library with Lumiere and Chip. Belle reminded him of their promised dance in the ballroom.

"It is all cleaned up Miss. I do need to get some candles for it, however. The general store will have some. Maybe not for all the candelabras we have, but for enough." Lumiere made a mental note.

"I think I'd like to go with you to town this time, if that's okay with you," she looked over at Beast, who nodded his consent. She read after that, until it became late. She left for her quarters, leaving Beast and Lumiere in the library. She cleaned up, took her hair down, changed into her nightgown. She sat on her bed, facing her desk and slowly brushed her hair out, thinking over the day. A soft knock came at her door.

"Come in," she called out, looking back over her shoulder. Beast was there, just his shirt and pants, leaning against the wall. She turned back to her desk, smiling. When would this infuriating blushing stop.

"Do you need me to change your bandage?"

He walked a little closer, shaking his head, "No, Mrs. Potts just did it for me. She said it was healing quite well. The pain is starting to go away, too."

"That's very good," she looked sideways at him, then back down again, brushing at the ends of a large lock of hair.

"I came to see if you would like to come to my room. To talk, spend some time together. I have no expectations or pressure."

She put the brush down and picked up her robe, putting it on, "Yes, I would like that."

He smiled and held out his hand, which she took. She followed him out of her quarters, stopping to close the door behind her. She took his hand again, "Let's be quiet."

He starting walking with her, "You don't want them to know?"

She shook her head, "Not yet."

He nodded and patted her hand, leading her down the hallway and the corner to his room. As they entered, she walked over to the fireplace, looking at it for a few moments. She could feel her heart starting to race. She was excited, and nervous. Taking her robe off, she put it down on one of the large red chairs in the room, clasping her hands together again, in front of the fire. She felt his presence behind her as he wrapped his paws around her waist and held her against him. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him. Finally he spoke, "You are a beautiful woman" She smiled and held her hands against his arms, "Thank you." Before she could say more, he reached behind and gently moved her hair off her shoulder and around her other side. He leaned down and gently kissed her exposed skin. She drew in a breath and held it, shivering a little. He stopped, "Should I not –" She replied quickly, "No, I like it, it's just," she giggled, "I have to say," she turned around to face him, "I know a little, things I've heard, things I've seen or read in books, but it is just a little." She bit her lip nervously.

He held onto her waist, "I am committed to going at the pace you are comfortable with. I want to do so many things with you, but all in their own time." He caressed her forehead, "Tonight, I would greatly enjoy your company, to hold you, to kiss you. Nothing more. Would that be alright?"

She nodded, holding her hands to her chest as he enveloped her and leant down and kissed her forehead. Beast let go, "Let's get in bed, shall we?"

She followed him and he pulled the blankets back on the massive bed. She scrambled in, and he followed suit, facing her. She snuggled up in his arms, wrapping her arms around him. "This is very nice," she said.

He sighed, "I have dreamt of this with you, so many times."

She furrowed her brows in surprise, looking up at him, "Indeed? I must say I am surprised."

"Well, not at first,"

She laughed, "Is that because I tried to stab you with my knife?"

"You don't have it with you now, do you?" he teased.

She shook her head no.

"You won me over with your grace, your kindness, your intellect."

"Stop, sir, you are too effusive in my praise."

"I have only just begun," he smiled down at her. She leaned up and kissed him, putting her hand up to his face. She started slowly, but his response encouraged her. He kissed her gently, on the lips, then down her neck, back up again. She reveled in the feeling. She loved this feeling, feeling a sense of pleasure she never had in this intimacy with him. She kissed him, and hugged him tightly, her arms around his neck. He lightly pushed his tongue inside her mouth, to her surprise. She didn't know people did that. She allowed him to do so, and he was sensual, deft with his kissing and probing in her mouth. She attempted to respond in kind, and heard a low growl of pleasure from him, which excited her. She started to move closer to him, move on him, it was instinctual, it felt good to do so. He put his paw on her knee as she was lifting it up, "We need to go slow," he said. She nodded and he motioned for her to turn around, her back up against him. He put his arms around her, the blankets up on them, and she soon fell asleep.

She woke up early in the morning, looking around confused, but Beast's protective paw around her waist brought back last night. She turned to see him sleeping peacefully behind her. She patted his arm, "Beast? Beast?"

He stirred and held her closer. She smiled sweetly at him. "Beast," she said a little louder. He opened his eyes, and looked down at her confused, then moved his legs closer to her, "What is it?"

"It's morning, I need to go back to my room."

He closed his eyes, "Just a bit longer. They don't come up here in the morning until after breakfast."

She leaned back into him, making him groan. He had worn his clothes in bed last night, so as not to tempt himself into more than he wanted to do. He had too much respect and consideration for her. She had said she wanted to explore a romantic, a more physical relationship, but how far would she want to go? After all, he was still physically a beast.

She turned around to face him, and give him gentle kisses. "You like that, do you?" he teased.

"Yes, I'm finding I want to more and more," she kissed him again. "You don't mind, do you?"

He shook his head and turned her over on her back, leaning over her and kissing her. He started moving down her neck, her chest. He reached up for the ribbon on her night gown. She reached down and undid it for him. He pulled the fabric aside, exposing her round breasts, her light pink nipples. He drew in a quick breath, strengthening his self-control. He lightly caressed one with his paw, watching carefully for her reaction. Her eyes were slightly closed, she moaned softly. He leant down and kissed around her chest, stopping on her nipple, kissing it gently.

She slightly arched her back, gasping, "Oh,"

He pulled back quickly, looking at her, "I can stop," he rubbed her other breast with his paw.

"No," she put her arm on his shoulder, "Please keep going."

He grinned and leaned down, taking her nipple in his mouth, kissing, and very lightly sucking on it. She moaned and shook a little at the sensation. He moved to her other breast, suckling on her – but not so much to cause discomfort. He didn't want to scare her. He continued for a while longer, then pulled back and covered her with her nightshirt.

"Why did you stop?" she looked up at him from under her hand covering her forehead.

He chuckled at her tone of irritation, "It is getting close to breakfast. You said you wanted to go back to your quarters."

"Oh, yes, yes of course." She swallowed hard, her mouth had gone dry from breathing so heavily and gasping. She sat up and tied up her nightgown hurriedly, then looked up at him to embrace him closely, giving him a last kiss. "I'll be ready quick," she slid off his bed and grabbed her robe, putting it on hastily as her feet padded on his wooden floor.

Beast had sat on the bed, watching her go. He felt drunk with emotion, thinking it must have been a dream, except his rock hard erection made it too much a reality. He grunted and pulled his pants, off, freeing it from its confinement. He knew he had to relive himself, or he wouldn't be able to even walk out of the room.

Belle rushed back in her room, holding her hand to her chest as she shivered with excitement, thinking about what they had done. She was feeling a strange new sensation between her legs, as well, something new –she'd felt it a bit before around Beast, but this morning, there was an ache there that was throbbing. As she changed, she saw a wetness there, clear – not like when she had her monthly bleeding. She remembered the time and quickly changed all her underclothes into fresh ones. She brushed and braided up her hair, looking in her wardrobe for a dress to wear. She frowned, looking through them all. All the colors were so dark, she wanted something lighter, pink or yellow. She found a medium blue one and put that on. "I'll ask Beast if I can order some other dresses tomorrow in town." She checked her reflection, and worked on a ribbon decoration in her hair. A knock at her door startled her, "I need to keep my emotions down," she called out, "Enter," as she finished fixing it and the silk flower with it on the side of her hair. She looked up to see Beast in her doorway. Her heart fluttered a bit, and she smiled broadly at him as he did as well. He held out his arm, "Are you ready?"

She nodded, taking his arm. They walked towards the dining room by the kitchen, as they had so many times before. This time, of course, so much had changed between them. She held him tightly to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded, "Yes, very much so," she smiled at him and squeezed his arm. "I feel like they are going to know just by looking at me."

He chuckled, "They won't. We won't let them know until you are ready." He knew she felt self-conscious, but for him, it was a relief she wanted to be discreet. He did not want to get their hopes up about ending the curse. He had to admit, he was struggling not to think of that as well. They ate together, chatting about their plans for the day.

"I'm going to work in the rose garden in the back. I want to get some cuttings, as well. The ones in my vase are spent."

He moved his food around his plate, "I can come and help you if you would like." He took a forkful and looked at her.

"Oh, yes," she said brightly, "That would be wonderful, I could use your help."

He smiled to himself at her eagerness. It was exhilarating having her attentions. After breakfast, she went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Potts, and Lumiere came in to go over his trip to town with Beast. They finalized the list, both of them going into the kitchen to get any last minute items from Mrs. Potts.

"Let me see, um, I am short on some spices," she listed them to Lumiere who wrote them down, "And the usual foodstuffs."

"Don't forget flour, we're low." Belle added.

Lumiere wrote it down as well, "You are still coming, are you not, Miss?"

She nodded as she wiped down a plate she'd washed, "Are we leaving early again?"

"Yes, Miss. Better that way. You know how long the journey is."

"It is." She looked up at Beast brightly, "Why don't you come with us?"

He was speechless as Lumiere spoke, "I don't think that's wise, Miss."

Belle slammed her hand to her forehead, "Of course, how silly of me, I forgot." She smiled sheepishly at him.

He walked over to her, "I am touched you don't see me that way, but unfortunately the villagers do."

She leaned against his arm, "I wish it was different," she frowned, "It's not fair."

He picked her chin up with his finger, "What matters is what you think."

Lumiere raised an eyebrow, looking over at Mrs. Potts for her reaction, but she was putting cups away, and failed to notice.

Beast let go and took a step away, "Well, anything you forgot on the list, I'm sure Belle will remember when you are there."

"One other thing, I was going to get a few dresses, some more summery ones, lighter fabrics, lighter colors. Is that alright?"

"Of course, whatever you want." He smiled down at her.

"Anything you would like to see me get?" she looked up under her eyelashes.

"You have the most excellent taste, whatever you choose would be most pleasing."

Lumiere watched the exchange between the two of them open mouthed, they seemed to be very openly flirting. Their tone of voice, body language, looks and smiles. Maybe the brush with death with the wolves had an impact on them.

Belle glanced over at Lumiere, "And don't forget candles."

He held up the paper, "It's on the list."

Belle seemed to realize his reaction, and cleared her throat, "Well, I have much more to do here, I'll see you later in the garden?"

"Yes, indeed." Beast turned and left.

Belle acted nonchalantly and helped Mrs. Potts with some cooking for the lunch meal, and some meat pies for the trip. True to her word, she was teaching Belle how to cook. After a while, Belle took off the apron and went the garden with a basket and shears. She wasn't there long when she looked up to see Beast walking through the trees towards her. She dropped her shears and ran up to meet him, throwing her arms around him and standing on her tip toes to give him a kiss. He held her hands in his and kissed her back.

"So what help do you need?"

"Just your company." She grinned at him. "I thought, it's a nice day, beautiful, secluded gardens, you never know." She turned to go back to her roses.

He chuckled, "I had no idea how passionate a woman you were."

"I didn't hardly know myself." She clipped a rose and sniffed it, "I believe you bring it out in me. You have a lot to teach me, though."

"You seemed to catch on pretty quickly this morning."

"If you have a patient teacher, a willing student, it's all possible, right?" she looked at him coyly over her shoulder.

He rubbed his face with his paw, she had no idea what he really wanted to do to her right then. He sat in the shade under a tree, watching her clip the roses and put them in her basket. After she had the amount she wanted, she put it down and walked up to him, kneeling next to him. She ran her fingers through his fur around his face as he looked lovingly at her. She leaned down and kissed him, as he put his hands around her, pulling her closer. She hiked up her skirts to free her legs and straddled him, sitting on top of him. He tugged at the front of her dress as their kiss became more passionate. She worked it open quickly with her fingers and unhooked her corset. He reached in her chemise and cupped her breast as she gasped into their kiss. He leaned down and took her breast in his mouth. She worked her fingers into the back of his head as he worked her. She leaned her head back in pleasure, feeling tingling through her body. He sucked harder on her, pulling the nipple out slightly. She moaned, "Yes, please, yes."

Beast knew his limitations, and eventually pulled himself away. He held her tightly to him, as she put her head on his shoulder. Belle murmured "Mmm, I never knew I could feel like that. I never thought it was like that." She gave him a strong hug and pulled herself back to look at him.

"You should dress," he pointed, breathless.

"You aren't saying that with conviction," she teased.

"Belle," he said with a warning look.

She giggled and re-did the hooks and the front of her dress. "I do have a question for you, though."

He rubbed her thigh through her dress, "Yes?"

"Well," she finished the bow and pushed a stray curl back off her face, "I'm having this intense feeling here," she put her hand between her legs, "And there is a lot of wetness too-"

Beast nodded, moving quickly to pick her up off him as he slid out from under her, "Yes, yes, that is normal."

She frowned, "But what – I mean, I know that the man has a body part that he puts inside the lady."

He stood up rapidly and brushed the dirt off his pants. "I – uh, well yes, you are right."

She scrambled up, "My forthrightness is embarrassing you, I apologize."

"It's, it's just that it's not so simple, considering my physicality is different."

"Oh, that's true." She tilted her head, "But what about this, I mean, it's really hurting right now, and I can feel wetness dripping down my leg."

He drew in a calming breath, "I – we can take care of that later tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes, I have a solution that will work for both of us." He motioned to her basket, "Are you finished?"

She nodded and grabbed the basket walking with him back towards the castle. Beast struggled to regain his thoughts as his desire for her washed over him. She leaned against him, swinging the basket back and forth. He felt like he had unleashed a floodgate in her, and it threatened to drown him. He would gladly go down the depths of that desire.

Inside the castle, Lumiere looked out the window, watching Beast and Belle walk back to the castle. He ran into the kitchen, pulling Mrs. Potts out. "What, what's the problem?" she said with irritation.

"Look out there, look!" He pointed.

Humoring him, she looked out the window. "What am I looking at?"

"Them, see how they are together?"

She put her hands on her hips, "So?"

Lumiere huffed, "Look at how close they are together, how they are talking."

Mrs. Potts looked at him, "That's nothing new. Why did you pull me out here, I was in the middle of-"

"See!" he pointed.

She looked quickly. Belle and Beast had stopped and were talking closely. Belle turned and took his arm in hers and they walked slowly back to the castle. Mrs. Potts turned up the corner of her lips, "What are you on about?" she left the window. Lumiere walked after her, "I'm telling you, something's changed between those two. They are getting very close to each other. I think-" he caught up to her and caught her attention, "I think they are falling in love with each other."

She stopped, "Well, I figured it wouldn't take much for him, but do you really think she feels that way? I mean, she's very happy here. It doesn't mean she feels that way about him. I know he is very guarded with his feelings."

Lumiere shook his head, "You sound just like him."

"Well, maybe we are the voice of reason." She patted his arm, "You see what you like to see, there's nothing wrong with that."

Lumiere frowned, he was sure he saw something more.

Outside the castle, Belle gave Beast a few kisses before they rounded the side to the front door. "That will have to hold me over until later." She frowned, "How will you do without me tomorrow?"

"You can always stay here," he offered.

She shook her head no, "I need to pick out my dresses myself. Plus, Lumiere likes having someone to accompany him, it's a help."

Beast opened the door, "I do have one request."

"You do? What?"

"A pink dress. I think that would look most becoming on you."

She smiled broadly, "Absolutely."


	11. Chapter 11

Later that night, Belle waited until after everyone had turned in, and made her way down to Beast's room. As she called out his name, "Beast?" She saw him by his bed, surprised to see her, his shirt off, putting it in a chair for the laundering.

"I thought you may not be coming, since you have to get up early tomorrow." He said.

She closed his door and walked over to him, "But you made a promise today in the garden, remember?"

He tried to think back. It had been such an emotionally overwhelming experience, he couldn't quite remember. She turned backwards and jumped up on the bed. "You said you would take care of me tonight, that you had a solution that would work for both of us."

"Ah, yes. I did say that." He eyed her critically, "Are you sure you are up to it?"

She swallowed hard, and fiddled with the buttons on the front of her nightgown, "I think so. I guess I don't really know but I trust you."

He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, "I don't think I deserve you."

"Then that makes two of us, I don't think I deserve you." She scooted up on the bed by the pillows and drew her knees up to her chest. "Don't let me interrupt you."

"I'm not going to be taking these off," he pulled lightly on his trousers. He thought he saw a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes. He knew, though, that she was far from ready for that. He was determined not to hurt or push her. He walked over to the fire, "Are you warm enough?" She nodded in response, but he put another log on the fire, just in case. The stone walls of the castle cooled off considerably at night. He walked back towards her, chuckling as he saw her direct stare.

"What? What is the joke?" she asked.

"I feel like you are hunting me." He said.

"Maybe I am, a little bit."

He walked over to his table and poured himself some wine, giving her a glass as well. She took a few sips and made room as he got in bed next to her. "How is your back healing?" she leaned forward to see. He turned so she could get a good look. "It looks very good, I see you aren't wearing the bandage tonight." She said.

He nodded, "Yes, I heal quickly. The pain is minimal." He reached out and caressed her knee. "We can just sleep here tonight, if that works better for you."

She shook her head, "I appreciate your solicitousness, but I'm curious and looking forward to us being close." she felt her face get hot.

"Well, in that case," he reached out for the glass. She took one last drink and handed it to him. He put them down and leaned down and kissed her. She was becoming more used to it, not so timid with returning it. He positioned her in the middle of the bed and leaned over her, kissing down her neck. The little noises she made encouraged him, and he ran his paw down her thigh, her leg. He continued to pepper her with soft, hot kisses as he started rubbing lightly between her legs through her bloomers.

"Oh, oh my – I – uh," she looked down at him, wild-eyed.

"It doesn't hurt does it?" he asked just to be sure. He wanted her to feel in control.

"No, not at all, it feels amazing," she leaned back with the back of her hand on her forehead, eyes shut tightly. He kept rubbing her, as she started moving with him, against him. He kissed down her chest, then sat up and lifted her nightgown. "I'm going to take these off now, is that okay?"

She peered down at him, biting her lip, "Yes."

He reached up for the waist band and pulled the ribbon loose. He gently pulled her bloomers down and off. She instinctively held her heels together, and shivered. He ran his paws up and down both legs, warming them up. He scooted down and picked both legs up and put them in a knees up position, spread apart. She gave him some resistance. He looked up at her, "Belle, trust me."

She nodded and took a deep breath, relaxing her legs apart. He lay down and put her legs up over his shoulders, his arms wrapping around them. He leaned down and she felt his hot breath over her. She shuddered with anticipation – he hadn't explained exactly what he was going to do. He started lightly kissing her between her legs, between her folds. She felt his warm, wet tongue rove over her. She couldn't stop gasping, telling him repeatedly it was not pain, just very sensitive, but sublime. She felt waves of pleasure, unbelieving how incredible it felt. His kisses were amazing, and to have him kiss her there – she was overwhelmed. He started rubbing her with the pad of his finger, slowly at first, then back and forth more rhythmically, but still gently. At the same time, he was moving his tongue inside her – a little at first, it shocked her. Then deeper. She heard him say how sweet she tasted. She felt as if the throbbing she felt would make her explode. How did he mean this would help? She felt even more frustrated than ever. He kept moving, kept stimulating her. A strange tingling started, and she said in a harsh whisper, "Something's happening, something's happening!" He nodded, feeling her legs quiver and her walls starting to tighten. He pulled back to say, "Let it happen," and continued. Suddenly she cried out, lunging forward and grabbing his horns with both hands, pulling him towards her. She screamed out, "Beast, Beast!" feeling a flood of pleasure rush over her. She could feel her muscles spasm against him, and kept going. "Oh, oh, oh," she couldn't stop. Finally she felt them relax, and she leaned back, letting go of his horns and flopping back down on the bed. A last wave of climax came over her and she convulsed slightly, then lay flat, both arms at her sides. She was completely spent.

He made sure she was done before he pulled out, licking around her folds and putting a few last kisses there. He let go of the tight grip he had on her, and pulled the blanket up around her and cuddled up next to her as she weakly held onto his arm and leaned into him. "That is what it's about." He smiled and kissed her shoulder.

"I – I am so-" she looked over at him, "You are so amazing, that felt so fantastic. How do couples not do this all day?" she felt relaxed, relieved of the physical want, and completely satisfied.

He laughed, "There's a lot more to it, too."

"Oh, I'm sure there is." She leaned into him, "I can't wait, if that showed me anything." She was soon asleep, as Beast held her tightly in his arms.

He woke in the morning, early, and tried to rouse her. This time it was her who cuddled into him and resisted waking up. "Belle," he kissed her hand, "You need to get up." She shook her head no. He smiled and tried again, "You are going to town with Lumiere this morning."

She opened her eyes reluctantly, and gave him a satisfied smile, kissing his chin. "Can't we spend some time here this morning?"

He rubbed her arm, "He will be in here any minute asking me if I've seen you, since you are not in your room."

She frowned, turning over, "I guess I'll have to get up," she grunted and flung herself out of bed, sliding down on the floor. "Where are my bloomers?" she looked around.

He pointed to the edge of the bed, where she took them and put them on. He sat up in bed, watching her, smiling. She grabbed her robe, and pushed her hair off her face, then hurriedly put it on as she rushed back to his side, giving him a long kiss. "You sure we don't have time-"

"No," he said firmly, but with a laugh. "They will hear you."

"I can be very quiet," she said.

"You weren't last night."

"Beast!"

"Yes, it was like that, but very much louder."

"Oh!" she pouted and stamped her foot.

He laughed, "You are getting very spoiled."

"Well-" she started,

"Sire?" Lumiere's voice came from the door.

"I warned you he would be coming," He jumped out of bed and lead Belle to hide at the side of the large wardrobe. He walked briskly towards Lumiere as he came in.

"Sire, have you seen Miss Belle? We need to be leaving soon. I've knocked at her door, but there is no answer. I don't want to walk in on her, I don't think she's there."

"I have not seen her, but she could have been up before you and made her way down to the library. Perhaps to get a book for the journey?"

Lumiere nodded, "Yes, I will take a look there. Thank you." He turned and left.

Beast closed the door behind him and turned to look at Belle. She peeked around the side of the wardrobe. "He's gone?"

"Yes. Here," he went over to his table and grabbed a book, "Take this. If he meets you in the hallway, you can say you got this for the carriage ride." She nodded and put it under her arm. She turned to look back at him, "You're going to see us off, aren't you?"

"Most definitely."

She smiled, "Good."

She hustled out the hallway, and had almost slipped into her room when Lumiere caught up to her, "Oh, there you are Miss. We need to leave before sun is up, will you be ready? I can have Mrs. Potts pack food for you to eat on the way."

"Oh, yes, that is a good idea. I was just getting a book for the trip." She held it up.

"I can take that for you, I was packing the carriage already."

"Thank you," she handed it to him, and went into her room to get ready. She hastily cleaned up, brushed and fixed her hair. She picked a floral cotton dress she had, thinking about the heat, now that it was summer. She grabbed her gloves, a hat, and rushed out downstairs. She nearly ran into Chip along the way. "Anything you need in town?" she asked him.

He shook his head no, "Nothing Miss, thank you."

She nodded and put the hat on her head, attempting to fasten it with a large pin. She went outside, where Lumiere looked at her with relief. "I've put a basket with food and wine in it on the seat, along with a blanket, for comfort." He held his hand out to her as she took it and stepped up into the carriage.

"Where's Beast?"

Lumiere finished with the horses, "He's on his way, he was downstairs just now."

She looked out the window, relieved to see him walking out towards them. She gave him a little wave and he smiled. He came up to the window, as she leaned out and took his arm. "Don't miss me too much today," she said.

"You know," he took her hand in his, "The rest of the household is going to catch on if you keep smiling so much at me."

"I can't help it," she sighed. "I'll try to be more careful. I just – I don't want them to judge me so much, you know." She turned red.

He shook his head, "I don't think they'll see it so much that way."

She looked at him, "Maybe not." She held onto his shirt sleeve. She frowned, she wanted him to – say something, something about where he thought their relationship was going, what he wanted for them. She gave his arm a squeeze and retreated back in the carriage. "I'll see you tonight."

He let go, and turned to Lumiere, now sitting on top with the horses' reins in his hands. "Be careful."

Lumiere bowed his hat, "I will, Sire."

She waved at him from the window as they turned down the well-worn path and started the hours-long journey. She ate and drank, and pondered their situation. He hadn't said anything about a commitment to her, or anything of that nature. He did buy her at a bride auction, but again, had always said it was not with her being his bride in mind. She frowned, maybe he was too insecure in himself to bring it up. She sat back in the seat, yes, that must be it. He had just told her how afraid he was, how he was afraid of what she thought about him. She thought it over. When she got back, she would talk to him about it. Maybe too because she had asked him to keep it a secret. He did just mention that. She didn't want them thinking she was a loose woman, and maybe she shouldn't worry about it. They were all in a very unconventional situation. Beast didn't seem to think they would think poorly of her. She looked out the window as the sun was coming up.

She folded the blanket into a pillow and leaned against it, falling asleep. She awoke with a jostle of the carriage some time later, but looking out, saw they were only a little over halfway there. She reached down for the book Beast had given her, turning to the first pages. It was written in Italian, which she couldn't read. She laughed, closing the book and putting it back down on the seat.

Eventually mid-morning they made it, and Lumiere stopped the carriage close to the general store. He helped her out, and suggested they eat at the restaurant, which Belle readily agreed, knowing he must be eager to see Claudine. They had a delicious meal, Claudine again giving them a box of cake to take with them. Belle felt much more relaxed and excited about being in town this time, without her plan to leave as her previous trip. She accompanied Lumiere to the general store, helping him with the foodstuffs. They packed the carriage, Lumiere suggesting they go to the dressmaker next. Remembering what Beast had said last time, he stayed with her as she picked out some dresses – lavender, pink and yellow. He talked to the shop keeper as she consulted with Mariette. When she finally had everything ordered, and a few ready to go with her, Lumiere paid the shopkeeper, collecting the packages. Belle stood at the front door, waiting for him. Vegetable stand next, then back home. She didn't think they would need many more vegetables in the future when the garden started producing more. "Some seeds, that we need." She thought about what they should plant next.

"Miss, Miss?" she turned in the doorway to see a young boy call out to her.

"What is it?" she took a few steps out.

"The shopkeeper's wife said they have some new stock, just came in the back. She asked if you would go around and look at it." He pointed around the corner of the shop.

"New stock?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss." He nodded.

Maybe she wouldn't have to wait for a new order after all. She picked her skirt up slightly in her gloved hand, and followed him around the side of the building and around the back. There was a back delivery door, but it was closed. Puzzled, she turned back to ask the boy, but he was gone. As she started for the door, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, and everything went black.

Back at the castle, it was late. Beast fell asleep in the library, waiting for them to return. He stirred, hearing the front door open. He looked at the clock – it was indeed late, but Belle was particular in what she liked and wanted. Likely they spent more time in town than originally planned. He rubbed his face and pushed himself up from the chair with a loud grunt. Stretching, he made his way to the front door. It was partly open and he saw Lumiere talking to Mrs. Potts by the carriage, both of them looking upset. He picked up his pace, "What's wrong?"

Lumiere was pale, shaken, "She's missing, Sire, I'm so sorry – I looked and looked for her, that's why I'm so late, I-" he covered his face with his hands.

Beast reeled, almost passing out, "What do you mean she's missing?"

Lumiere related how he had paid for her packages, talked briefly to the shopkeeper and when he turned around she was nowhere to be seen. He looked outside for her, not concerned, at first, then became more frantic as she had seemingly vanished. He found one man who thought he saw her talking to a young boy, but since he was a drunkard, his account was suspect.

Beast looked inside the empty carriage, needing to verify she was not there. Lumiere was distraught, "I paid some men to help me search, I don't know what happened. We looked everywhere in that town. I didn't know what else to do, I came back, maybe Chip could go with me and help me look."

Beast felt terror in his gut, and saw Mrs. Potts, who gave him a knowing look. In a dark voice, he said, "Check her room, now." She scurried off. Lumiere continued to beg Beast for forgiveness, retelling all the steps he'd taken to look for her, until it got dark, and he felt he had to come back for help. Beast paced around the carriage, emptying it of all its contents. Nothing there was out of the ordinary. Lumiere said Belle had been happy and excited. Mrs. Potts finally came out of the castle. Breathless, she said, "Everything is there, not a single thing is missing. Not one. She did not even bring her reticule."

"What about her desk?" He stood with his paws in fists.

"I didn't think to look in there."

He rushed past her and up the castle stairs to her room. He looked in her desk drawers, there were papers, writings, mainly plans for the garden. He stood up, looking around frantically, as if being in her room her presence could give him the answer. He ran down to the library, going through the desk she used there. He found her sketchbook, the one she guarded so closely. He flipped through the pages, scenes from the castle, the picture of fruit and flowers she was endlessly working on. The back pages started suddenly with drawings of him, more and more, him reading, sitting in a chair, some of him sleeping, and in the very back a new one of him with his shirt off. He closed it, putting it back and slamming the drawer. It made no sense.

He suddenly became aware of Lumiere and Mrs. Pott's presence. She wrung her hands, "Adam, do you think- "

"No!" he glared at her, "Not this time. Something bad has happened. She would not have left on her own. She admitted to me, long ago, that she had planned that, and changed her mind."

Mrs. Potts nodded, as Lumiere was confused, but was too afraid to ask. Chip suddenly appeared, putting his jacket on, "I'm ready to go."

Beast shook his head, "No, I am going. Lumiere, switch the horses out and let's leave, immediately. Are you up to going back?"

"Of course, Sire. Whatever I can do." He nodded.

Belle's eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head, looking blearily around her. She was in an unfamiliar room, "Oh," her head throbbed. She started to put her hand up to it, but couldn't do it. She looked over and realized her hand was tied up with rope at the bedpost. She pulled but it only moved a few inches. She turned and saw her other hand was tied the same way. She tried to get up, despite the pain, and to her horror, saw her feet were tied at the ankles to the bottom bedposts as well. Fear gripped her entire body, and she pulled with all her strength, but she could only move each limb a little bit. She then realized her dress was off, and she was in her underclothes only. Even her corset was off. She frantically looked around the room, it was small, a cabin, perhaps? It seemed to be one room, the bed in the living area and a small kitchen in the corner. She didn't recognize anything there. "I've been kidnapped." She thought back to the boy luring her out back of the shop, it had been a ruse. "How stupid of me," she thought. Maybe someone would hear her, she started yelling out, "Help, help!" getting louder. Suddenly she heard movement in the back of the house. Fear gripped her, maybe that wasn't the best course of action. The door swung open.

"Well, well. Look who's finally awake."

She gasped, "Gaston!"

He walked over to her, an evil grin on his face. He knelt down next to her as she pulled at the ropes, "Untie me, now!"

He laughed, "You are not in any position to make any demands."

She glared at him, "How dare you!"

He leaned back and slapped her face, hard. Stunned from the pain, she turned back to look at him. He got close in her face, "You will learn how to act properly, you hear?" He had a knife at the bottom of her chin, "I'm sure with the proper motivation, you can become the wife I need."

"Wife!" she blurt out.

He looked at her as if she was stupid, "Of course. You aren't meant to be with that skinny older man. If I'd been in town, I would have bought you at that auction. Imagine my disappointment when I came back to the village and found out. I'm here to correct that." He took the knife and cut open the top ribbon on her chemise. She looked at him, wide-eyed with fear. Suddenly she realized the terrible position she was in. He leaned down and forced a kiss on her, as she turned her head back and forth, wrenching her face in disgust. He pulled back, "You'll come around. I have no problem beating you into submission, if necessary."

He grabbed her chin in his hand, digging his fingers into her jaw forcefully. He covered her mouth with his, forcing his tongue in her mouth, she screamed in protest, but he was very strong, and used his other arm to push down on her shoulder. He pulled back, giving her a satisfied sneer. "I look forward to more."

"You disgust me!" she pulled against the ropes. His eyes flashed in anger and he jumped up, grabbing a wooden spoon from the nearby table. He jumped back on top of her, crushing her, and taking her by the throat with one hand, pummeling her with wacks with the large spoon with the other one, her arm, her legs, he hit and hit her until she could feel herself passing out. He let his hand off her throat enough for her to get some air, and she gagged. He kept hitting at her with the wooden spoon until his anger had passed. He held it up in her face, "Next time I grab a hot fire iron, and brand you as mine. Is that what you want?" she shook her head no. He started to caress her cheek, "That's better. You be a good woman, and things will go much better for you. Don't make me hurt you more than I want to." He got off her and she coughed, feeling the full brunt of his blows on her body. She could taste blood in her mouth, and watched in fear as he put the spoon calmly back on the table and went to the kitchen to get some water.

She knew her knife was still in its sheath on her leg. He hadn't found it yet. There was no way she would be able to reach it. Maybe if she could convince him to let her out of the ropes, she'd have a chance to grab it. She tried to calm her breathing, but felt her heart race as he approached her. He leaned over and picked her head up, bringing a glass of water to her lips. "Here, have a drink." He poured it in her mouth, and she swallowed what she could, the rest of it dripping down the sides of her face. "That's better." His handsome face was calmed, but his eyes were still dark. He smiled and let her head down and walked away. _He's crazy,_ she thought, _and I'm in serious danger. _

She thought about Beast – what must he be thinking? Would he be anywhere close? She didn't even know where she was. She could see through the crack in the curtain that it was dark outside. She looked back at Gaston who was eating a meal, then left for the back room of the house. She closed her eyes, feeling the pain in her arm and legs where he had beat her. She moved slightly, nothing was broken, she didn't think, but she was not in good shape. The thought of what else he would do to her made her feel physically ill. She was completely at his mercy. Tears fell out the sides of her eyes. She berated herself for leaving Lumiere's side.


	12. Chapter 12

The carriage ride to town was laboriously slow for Beast. Lumiere was pushing the horses as much as he could, but Beast was used to running through the woods at his speed. He had to rely on Lumiere, if there was anything needed to be done with the villagers, he would have to do it for him. Beast clutched the blanket left in the carriage in his paws, holding it closely to him. Belle's scent, imprinted in his mind already, filled his senses.

Finally they arrived, as Beast held himself back from bursting out to search for Belle. Lumiere stopped the carriage and came to the window. "This is the shop we were at when she disappeared outside." He pointed in the dark to the building.

Beast nodded, "Take us to the back, where no one can see me."

Lumiere led the horses to the back of the shop. Beast jumped out, a large cloak and hood covering him. Lumiere started to walk towards the front of the store, Beast following him as he retold the events. Beast stopped, "Wait." He turned back to where they had the carriage, walking back, "Did you search back here?"

Lumiere shook his head with frustration, "We need to search around the town, Sire. There's only a few streetlights on and not many people around. I will lead the way –" he started for the street.

"No," Beast said in a harsh whisper, "I pick up her scent."

"Probably from the carriage," Lumiere said exasperatedly.

Beast ignored him, and walked around a few feet, then out towards the dusty ground in the back. "It's stronger now, yes." He kept going slowly, all his senses heightened. Lumiere was with him now, looking around as well, as best he could in the dark. Beast dropped down on all fours, something Lumiere had only rarely seen. He checked the wind for her scent. He turned into the bushes and started rummaging around. He grabbed something dark, and held it up.

Lumiere gasped, "That's her shoe! I remember when I bought it."

"Yes," Beast turned it over, "It has her scent. I think I can follow it. Walk with me."

Lumiere did so, Beast finding her hat, as well. "This is not good," he growled. He looked on the ground and thought he saw drag marks. He brushed the dirt with his paw. His tracking brought him around the side of another building and back to the street. "Get the carriage – I think she was taken in a wagon or horse here. It gets faint, but I can still track her. We need to move – fast! She's been gone hours, there's no telling-" he was afraid to finish the sentence.

Lumiere did as he asked, as Beast got on top of the carriage to ride with him. He took the horses down the street, out of town and towards cottages, farms, an area he'd never been before. Beast directed him, her scent getting weaker at times, but always being able to catch it again. "Here," he pointed, "Turn here."

Inside the cabin, Belle's mind was racing. She felt terror like she'd never had before. Gaston suddenly burst out of the back room, and all her muscles tensed in anticipation of what he might do. He stumbled a bit, taking a drink. "You are so pretty," he smiled sloppily at her.

_Damn, he's drunk_. She wasn't sure if she could use that to her advantage, or it would make things worse. He walked over and sat on the bed, "You quieted down now, good girl."

She felt like she was going to wretch. He reeked of alcohol. She forced a smile, "Why don't you let my hand free so I could join you for a drink?" she pulled at the rope.

He leaned over, "Now, that might sound like a good idea. But what if you tried to get away or do something you shouldn't, huh?"

She shook her head no, "My arms are getting tired, and I'd really love to drink with you. Besides, you're so strong, I'd never try to do anything." She smiled.

He shook his finger at her, "Nope, I'm not falling for that." He took another drink, spilling some on her. She let her hand fall back on the blanket, disappointed. He put the bottle down on the floor, it falling over and rolling across the floor with a loud rattle. He suddenly got in bed, half on top of her. "Come on now, time for me to show you what being with a real man feels like."

She panicked, pulling with all her strength against the ropes to turn away from him, but she was trapped. He grabbed at her, roughly touching her all over, kissing her as she writhed underneath him, trying to buck him off of her.

"No! NO!" she yelled out.

He slammed his hand over her mouth, "Keep it quiet," he said angrily. He jumped up and came back with a torn piece of cloth and forced it around her mouth, tying it behind her head. She could make sounds, but they were muffled, and she couldn't talk. She felt like she wanted to die, this was her worst nightmare come true. She arched her back and pushed her head back into the mattress, struggling under his weight. As he pushed her down, she felt the pain from the beating he'd given her before. She suddenly felt his hands fumbling with her bloomers. _Here it comes,_ she thought with dread, and started to cry. He pulled them down, and launched himself further on top of her. "Ugh!" she called out from the pressure he was exerting on her chest. His face was right above hers, and his eyes bored into her, his lips curling. "I've been waiting for this," he snaked his hand down and she kept shaking her head no and making muffled screams as he ran his rough hand over her abdomen, down further to her folds. She gasped and moved frantically.

"Don't!" he held a knife to her throat, "I'll cut that pretty little face of yours, or worse."

She forced herself to stay still, but choked down sobs as he pushed his fingers between her legs. He grunted with the struggle to force his finger inside her. "Come on, you know you want to," he kept trying, but she was incredibly tight, and dry. He penetrated her a small amount, she cried out in pain.

"That's it," he yelled in frustration and jumped off her. She breathed heavily, feeling as thought she was going to pass out from the horror of what was happening, what was to come. He went to the kitchen and took a rag, she couldn't see what he was doing, until he came back and covered her face with it. _He's going to kill me_, her mind couldn't comprehend the despair that would bring to Beast. He held it over her face, a noxious smell overtaking her. Confused, she remembered smelling it before – right before she blacked out at the general store. She struggled, coughing, and saw Gaston try to pour out a small bottle on it. Angrily, he realized it was empty, throwing it on the ground, smashing it. He cursed, turning back to her, "I'll be back. Don't-" he took the knife and held it up in her face, "Don't do anything. I will make sure you will be sorry if you do." He grabbed his coat off the wall and left the cabin. She looked up at the ceiling, then frantically struggled to get her hand out of the rope. If she could just do it, she could grab her knife and cut herself out of the rest of the ropes. Her wrist started to bleed as she worked it back and forth against the rough rope. As much as she tried, she couldn't get it out. She tried one hand, then another. Desperate, she pulled harder, willing to lose her hand in the process if necessary. The door pushed open, she looked up in terror.

A large figure filled the room. _Beast. _ She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He spun around the room until he saw her. He approached slowly, "Belle?" Her scent brought him here, but it did not look like her.

She screamed through the gag and pulled frantically at the ropes. He raced to her side. He quickly took in the scene, shocked at her condition. He pulled the gag off her mouth.

"Oh Beast, you found me!" she choked out.

"Belle, are you okay? What happened?" he noticed the ropes binding her limbs, yanking one off the bedpost.

"My knife, I have my knife on my leg."

He reached down and pulled it out of its sheath, cutting the ropes off her hands, "Who did this to you?" he demanded, pulling her bloomers up.

"Gaston," she said, "he kidnapped me." She looked at the door in terror, "He left – he's coming back." She started grabbing at his jacket.

Beast cut the rope off her ankles, then picked her up, cradling her and taking her out of the cabin into the cold night air. As he carried her, he looked down at her bruises, the blood on her wrists, her fat lip. Fury bubbled up inside him. Lumiere ran up to them from the carriage.

"Belle! Is she alright?" his voice got quiet as he saw her. "Oh my," he was speechless.

Beast stood her up, leaning down to brush dirty hair off her face and look into her eyes with great concern, "Can you stand?"

She nodded, reaching out and grabbing him in a tight hug, "We need to leave, now!" she said fearfully.

Beast gently pulled her back and examined her. He saw her underclothes were in disarray. "What did he do to you?" he demanded.

She swallowed hard, and opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

"Sire," Lumiere attempted to intervene.

"NO!" Beat yelled at him. He turned to Belle and said gently, "Tell me."

"He – kidnapped me outside the store, put something on a rag over my mouth to knock me out. I woke up in there, tied up. He got angry when I resisted and beat me up. Threatened me with a knife," she used the back of her hand to wipe off her runny nose.

Beast reached behind her in the carriage and took the blanket out, covering her. "What then?"

She pulled the blanket around her, getting quieter, "He started to rape me, used his hand, but it didn't work. I – I fought against him." She started to cry.

"Really, Sire," Lumiere protested.

"What does he look like?"

Belle gave him a quick description.

Beast stood up and looked towards the house. He turned back to Lumiere, "Take her back to the castle." He helped Belle get into the carriage seat and closed the door. She leaned out the window, "Wait!" She reached out for him weakly, "Come back with us"

He turned to her with dark eyes she'd never seen before, "Not until I hunt him down."

She leaned back into the carriage, knowing whatever happened, she couldn't stop it. Beast grabbed Lumiere's shoulder, "Take her back, I'll come back to the castle on my own when I'm done. Have Mrs. Potts help her get cleaned up, and the carriage too. His stench is all over." He handed Belle her knife back and turned away. Belle put her head down and cried silently. Lumiere nodded and closed her window, getting up into the carriage. Beast flew into the woods by the cabin to wait.

Belle curled up in the blanket and passed out asleep in the carriage. She woke up to Mrs. Potts and Lumiere trying to coax her out of the carriage back at the castle. It was early morning, still dark. She gently stepped out, the extent of her injuries now hitting her full force. She winced as she jumped out on the ground, holding the blanket tightly against her.

"Oh my word," Mrs. Potts said. She shook her head, "Sire must be enraged beyond control."

"Yes," Lumiere said, tight-lipped.

Mrs. Potts helped her inside as Lumiere attended to the horses. She brought her in the kitchen, sitting her down. She hardly knew what to do with herself as she fussed around her, getting her water, a wet rag. "Chip is getting a bath ready for you."

Belle nodded, taking a drink.

"My dear, I'm so, so sorry this happened to you. Is it very painful?" Mrs. Potts' face was full of concern.

"Yes, I hardly know how much. I don't think anything is broken." She held up her wrists to look at them, seeing the dried blood, the bruises. "How bad do I look?"

"It will heal," she said. She got her a snack, encouraging her to eat something. Afterwards she helped her walk to her room. "I can help you with your bath or I can go."

"No, I would appreciate your help, thank you."

Mrs. Potts nodded and helped her take the blanket off. She let Belle take the chemise and bloomers off. She couldn't help but gasp when she saw the multiple bruises, lacerations and finger marks on her. "Oh my poor, poor girl," she reached out and gently hugged her. "Come on, let's get you in that warm tub." She held her hand out for her to balance as she stepped in. Sinking down in the warm water, Belle closed her eyes and cupped water, rinsing her face. Once she started, she couldn't stop, thinking about Gaston's lips all over her. Mrs. Potts got her soap and a cloth and started very gently washing her back. Belle sat, hunched over in the tub, allowing her to wash her off.

After she was completely clean, Belle stood up and took the cloth to dry herself from Mrs. Potts. "Do you feel better, dear?"

"Yes, thank you so much for helping me and being here for me." Belle started to tear up, and couldn't hold it in any more. She wiped tears off her face as Mrs. Potts patted her arm. "I'll get your clothes, and then I can look at your wounds, see if you need bandaging."

Belle dressed and let Mrs. Potts bandage her wrists, which were the worst. Her ankles were bruised from the ropes too, but not bloody. She sat on her bed, Mrs. Potts behind her, combing out her long hair and braiding it for her. "There. Better a bit?"

Belle nodded. Mrs. Potts gathered up her dirty clothes. "No," Belle stopped her, "Burn them."

She nodded and threw them in the fireplace. "I can only imagine how horrible what you went through was, but you are safe now back with us."

Belle started talking softly, telling her about what happened. Mrs. Potts listened sympathetically. "Sire will take care of him," she said angrily.

"I didn't want him to, I just wanted us all to leave and never go back."

"Oh no," Mrs. Potts shook her head, "he would never rest a moment knowing that monster was out there after doing this to you."

Belle put her face in her hands, "He won't ever think of me the same way again."

"What?" she tilted her head down to try and see Belle's expression.

"He thinks I'm soiled now," she turned red and held her hand over her eyes, crying.

"My dear, no."

"He does, he said I needed to get his stench off me. I'm ruined."

"Listen to me," Mrs. Potts said, holding the sides of her face, "Sire cares for you very deeply, we all do, and that bastard did this to you, it was not your fault. He treasures you, I know."

Belle shook her head no, but wiped her tears, not wanting to talk about it any longer. "I need to lie down."

"Of course," she pulled her blankets down and assisted her into bed. "There," she tucked her in, and started to leave, "I'll have Chip get the water later."

"Wait –" she held her hand out. "Thank you," she said.

Mrs. Potts took her hand, and lightly patted it. "I'm so happy you are back with us."

Beast went inside the cabin, looked around in the back room which was a smaller bedroom, empty. He came back in the main room and examined the bed she had been tied too. Her blood smears and stains made him physically ill. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched the door, thinking of all the ways he was going to kill him.

After some time he heard noise outside – he was approaching. The door opened, and Beast quickly saw the man matched Belle's description. He pounced up just as he was seen and slammed him to the wall, holding his forearm tightly on his throat. The man tried frantically to claw his fingers on his arm, to no avail. Beast could smell Belle's scent on him, it enraged him.

"Expecting someone else?" Beast spat out.

"Let go of me!" he yelled out.

"That's funny. I thought you liked being held down, trapped. Oh, that's right, only with helpless women." He grabbed his shoulders and slammed him down on the floor, holding him down forcefully.

Gaston now had a clearer view of him from the light of the fire, wide-eyed with fear, "What are you? Some kind of monster!"

Beast laughed, "You're going to find out just how much. Now, let's see, I know you like beatings, so it's your turn." He picked him up like a sack of laundry and threw him around the cabin, against the walls, the bed, the table. Gaston attempted to hit him, but Beast was too fast, easily deflecting his punches and giving him harder ones back. He threw him on the ground, Gaston grabbing his stomach, coughing up blood. He looked around the room for a weapon, but his gun was in the back room, and all the knives were in the kitchen behind the creature.

Beast held up his head by his thick black hair, "Oh, that won't do. I don't want too much bleeding. Messy." He took him by the hair and started dragging him, taking his rope off the table. While he'd been outside, he'd scoped out the trees, finding just the right branch. He tied Gaston to a tree, then with the rest of the rope, sat and carefully made a noose.

"Please, I beg you, don't!"

Beast looked up at him calmly, "Is that was she said to you?"

Gaston shook his head in desperation, "I can pay you, give you my house, my goods, it's all yours."

Beast laughed.

"She's not worth it-" Gaston said bitterly.

Beast tied the last knot and pulled the rope tightly. "That's where you're wrong, my friend." He held the rope up, "Yes, I think that's about the right amount." He started walking towards Gaston who kicked at the dirt, screaming and yelling. Beast untied him and held his hands behind his back tightly in his paw, tying them together, then pulling the noose over his head.

"You – you can't do this. The villagers – they will come after you!"

"Wouldn't be the first time." He threw the rope up over the tree, catching the end as it sailed down. He leaned over closely to him, "I have a feeling no one will miss you." He yanked at the rope which jerked Gaston's head up. He started to pull it down, tying it to the tree at a level that just pulled his chin up, but he was still standing. Beast stomped into the cabin, taking out bottles of whiskey and pouring them all over the floor. He pulled a few logs out of the fire, one on the floor, one in the back room and threw one on the bed. As it started to light up with fire inside, he took another log off the wood pile by the fireplace and walked out, clutching it tightly in his hand. Gaston was terrified, watching this large creature stomp towards him. Beast got closer, holding the piece of wood tightly in his paw, hurled back and hit him with it.

"Ugh!" Gaston yelled out.

Beast smiled and used it to club him over and over. He tapped it on Gaston's face, "I thought you liked this type of thing? Got you excited, did it?" he clubbed him between his legs. Gaston started to pass out, but Beast shook him, "Oh no, don't do that. I want you to be awake to see everything you know and love about yourself destroyed, just like you tried to destroy her."

The door of the cabin was open, and flames were licking out. Gaston coughed a few times, "You've done enough, please, let me go, you'll never see me again!"

Beast backed off and shook his head, "My apologies, I cannot do that. You see, I need to bring your body back to Belle so she can see that you're dead. I want to give her that final comfort."

Gaston screamed, "You are a monster!"

"NO!" Beast roared in his face, "You! You are the monster! And she is MINE!" he paced in front of him angrily, pointing at himself "She kisses me! She is the mistress of my castle! My touch is what she craves, and I am the one who made her cum – not you!"

Gaston stared at him in disbelief.

Beast collected himself. "You - are the Beast. Not me." He grabbed the rope off the tree and gave it a yank down, pulling Gaston off his feet. He hung, swinging in the air as Beast held it down, watching the life drain out of him. Gaston watched his house burn, the last sight he would ever see.


	13. Chapter 13

Beast galloped through the dark for hours, the dawn starting to peek through the clouds. He approached the castle, standing up and throwing the large sack off his back. He pushed open the heavy wooden door. He called out for Lumiere, Mrs. Potts. Both of them came scrambling.

"Bring Belle out – can she walk?" he asked.

Mrs. Potts nodded, "She's sleeping right now, but she should be able to come out."

"I'll get her," Lumiere put on his coat and went down the hallway.

Beast walked purposefully back outside. There was a large sack on the ground. Beast stood next to it, catching his breath. He was sweaty, covered in dirty and burrs, and bloody. His cloak and jacket were long abandoned on his journey, his shirt and pants torn. Mrs. Potts ran and got him some water.

Lumiere walked out with Belle, her robe over her nightgown. He held her arm for support as she walked, peering up, relief washing over her as she saw Beast, tired, but in one piece.

"Leave us," Beast commanded.

They did so, leaving Belle standing, as Beast walked over to the sack and pulled it up, emptying out Gaston's body. His eyes were glazed over, his face the sickly yellow color of death. His limbs splayed out awkwardly.

Belle drew in a sharp breath and walked slowly over to him, leaning over to get a closer look. She saw the bruises, the blood, and the mark of the rope around his neck. She looked up at Beast, who said, "I used the same rope he used on you."

She turned down to look at him, and reached under her nightgown, pulling her knife out of its sheath, lifting it up high in the air and plunging it down in Gaston's chest. His lifeless body moved back and forth with the force. She stood up and silently started walking back to the castle.

"Don't you need it back?" Beast asked her.

She turned slightly, "It's where it belongs." She slowly walked back to the castle. Beast picked the body up and put it back in the sack, "I'm taking it out to burn the body, then I'll be back."

She nodded and walked inside, where Mrs. Potts and Lumiere were peeking out the crack in the front door. "Let me help you –" Lumiere offered his arm. She took it readily and they took their time carefully going back to her room.

A while later, Beast was back, after taking care of Gaston, and swimming in the lake to clean off. He burnt all his clothes with the body as well, not wanting to bring any part of Gaston back to his castle. He grabbed a cloak and extra pants out of the storage shed he kept and quickly got dressed. Inside the castle, he sought Mrs. Potts out in the kitchen.

"How is she?" he said, his face frowning with concern.

"She will take some days to heal, but she will be okay."

He sat down at the table, putting his paw up to his forehead, "I was able to get her in time."

"Yes, it was your faith in her that led to her life being saved."

"I cannot imagine how I would have gone on without her."

Mrs. Potts smiled, "We feel the same way."

He stood up quickly, scraping the chair on the floor behind him, "I'm going to go to her."

"Adam – wait." She finished arranging some items on a plate, putting it on a tray, "I'm getting some breakfast for her, please take it to her." As he reached out for it, she said, "There's something else. She is damaged, more than just physically."

"I know." He took the tray.

She shook her head, "She's afraid you see her less now in your eyes because he touched her. She's afraid you'll think she's soiled, and won't feel the same way about her."

He bristled at the idea, "I would never."

She laid a hand on his arm, "I know. You need to convince her of that."

He took the tray to her room, angry that disgusting excuse for a man made her question herself. He knocked at the partially opened door – using his elbow to push it open and come inside slowly, "Belle?" he said softly. He saw her – on the floor, staring blankly into the fireplace. He put the tray down on her bed and knelt down beside her. She barely acknowledged his presence. "Belle?" he waited. He saw she was wearing his pink jacket she'd taken out of his closet. It swallowed her up with its large size.

"You have my jacket," he said softly.

She looked down absently at the cuff, "I repaired the cut I made. I've been working on some embroidery to fix it. I wore it so it felt like you were around me." She looked down in her lap and felt emotion bubbling up, "I'm glad you're back, that you're okay."

"Of course I would be okay. I'm overjoyed to have you back. What you must have endured, it's unspeakable for him to do that to you." He wanted to grab her, hold her tightly to him, but he was cautious of pushing her. He reached out and took her hand in his, lifting it up and kissing it, then placing his other paw over it, holding it between them.

"I didn't think you'd want to touch me again after that." She said quietly.

"Belle, listen to me. He was a vile, wicked, evil man. He was a predator, and you did nothing – do you hear me? Nothing at all to make this happen or deserve it. What you did was everything you could to survive, and make it possible to come back home to us, to me. I'm so proud of you, and happy beyond words. If anything," he leaned down to catch her eye, "I feel more for you now than ever before."

She scrunched up her face, her voice breaking, "Truthfully?"

"Yes," he reached his arms around her gently, and she fell into his embrace, crying hot tears. They stayed like that for a while, Beast being careful around her injuries.

"He tried to put his finger up inside me, but he only got in a little bit. He forced his mouth on me, and touched me all over," she shuddered with the memory.

Beast growled lowly, wishing now he'd done more to him before his final death. He kissed the top of her head, and stroked her hair, "That doesn't matter to who you are, that was him, what he did, it's not you, not what you did. And he is gone forever."

She buried her face in his chest, "Thank you for that."

"I brought some food for you, Mrs. Potts put it together, would you please eat? With me?"

She pulled her face back and looked up at him for the first time. He stifled a gasp, seeing the purple and red bruises, the fat lip. "I'll eat a little bit," she said.

He leaned down to her face, hesitating a moment, "Is it ok?"

She nodded and leaned her face up. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then smiled, standing up and holding his paw out for her to get up. She stood and looked down at his jacket, "I stained the silk with my tears."

"It's yours, you can keep it." He gestured to the tray, "Come, please eat."

She stopped, "Could we go to your room? I'd rather be with you there."

"Of course," he picked the tray up and held her arm, "Are you able to walk there?"

She nodded, "I'm pretty sore, but I can do it."

In his room, she sat in the chair by the fire and quietly ate as he poured her some water and ate with her. He sat on the floor by her feet. She leaned back and reached out for him, "I was afraid I would never see you again. You can't imagine my relief when it was you coming in that door."

"When Lumiere came back saying you were gone, I knew immediately you were in danger."

"Were you afraid I might have run away? That thought tortured me, that I would be dead and you would think I had abandoned you," she got choked up.

He put a reassuring paw on her leg, "I never entertained that thought, not for one moment. I knew you were happy here, with what we are building together." He cleared his throat.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see his angry face, the knife at my throat," she put her hands over her face.

He got up and put his arms around her, "He's gone now, you're safe. It will take time to get over this. I promise you, I will protect you the rest of your life. You will never be afraid again."

She leaned into him and put her hand on his arm, pulling at his cloak. She looked down, "You don't have a shirt on."

He couldn't help but laugh that she had noticed that. "I washed off in the lake before I came back to you. This was all I had out in the storage shed." He walked over to his wardrobe and took the cloak off, putting on a shirt, "Come on," he walked back and helped her up, "Let's get you into bed, you need to lay down and rest."

She followed him, taking his pink jacket off and placing it on the chair, then allowing him to gently pick her up and lay her down in the bed. She immediately scooted over, "Would you get in with me?"

He nodded and pulled the blanket back, laying down as she snuggled up to him and fell asleep.

It took a few days, but eventually she started to feel better, physically and mentally. Beast was attentive to her every need, being a constant comforting presence. She still spent every night in Beast's room, finding solace in his strong arms around her. Mrs. Potts helped her with her hair, at Belle's request, as her wrists were still too sore to manage herself. Lumiere and Chip were delighted to see her getting strong enough to come to the library and do some reading, some drawing. She wanted to get back out to the garden, but Beast objected.

"Chip and I have been taking care of your garden, your orchard. Give it a few more days, and then we'll try. But only to watch us work, and supervise, okay?"

She smiled and nodded her agreement.

One evening, Belle came back to Beast's room to find her finest dress on the bed, a cream velvet ballgown. "What's this?" she walked up to it and picked it up. She turned to see Mrs. Potts in the doorway, "Sire has a surprise for you. He wants you to put this on, and meet him in the ballroom."

"Indeed?" she smiled, "That sounds wonderful. Could you help me – get my red sash?" She put the dress on with Mrs. Pott's help. She pulled her hair down, curls cascading down her back. She pulled the front pieces back and held them with combs. She pulled some roses out of the vase he'd bought her. He'd been stocking it with blooms every day. She arranged some in her hair. She swirled and looked at Mrs. Potts, "How do I look?"

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Potts replied, "Like an angel."

"I'm ready," she said, then stopped, "Wait – I need gloves, could you please get me some?" she looked down at her wrists that still had red skin and bruises.

Mrs. Potts brought her back some long cream gloves she put on and pulled up over her elbows, "That's much better, now I'm ready." She pulled on the sash in the back, making sure it was even. She followed her down to a side hallway and back to an ornately decorated door. She waited outside, excited.

"They've been working all week, Miss." She pulled it open.

Belle walked in, astonished at the massive room, gold gilt everywhere. Candelabras were lit with hundreds of candles. It was circular, filled with mirrors, and she walked down a set of stairs. Suddenly movement caught her eye, and she looked over to see Beast, wearing the black velvet jacket she'd had made for him. She stopped and held her hand to her chest as he approached, one paw behind his back, one held out for her. "Could I have the pleasure of this dance?" he asked.

Overcome with emotion, she could only nod, and rushed over to him, putting her hand in his. He walked with her down the stairs, slowly, carefully. She started to hear music as she stepped down on the grand marble floor. As Beast led her out to the middle of the room, she saw Lumiere to the side, playing the piano for them. Beast faced her, bowed, and held his arm out. She took it, putting her other hand on his shoulder as he lightly held her waist. He lead her gracefully around the dance floor, as Lumiere's exquisite playing took them away.

"You are so beautiful," Beast murmured to her. "You are a vision in that dress. The roses play off your skin," he felt a bliss he never had before.

She swayed back and forth to the music, "You are beautiful, to me." She looked around, "Thank you so much for doing this for me, this is wonderful. And you look very handsome."

"You have excellent taste," he said, looking down at the jacket.

"Yes, I do," she looked up at him.

They danced for a while, Beast careful to urge her to rest occasionally on a long setee they had brought in. He sat with her gloved hand in his, as she leaned up against him. "What a marvelous room," she said.

"I used to have many grand parties here. Lots of people, food and drink. Much ostentatious posing. I had all these mirrors put in so I could admire myself in them." He cringed at the memories of the past. He looked down at her, "Now, I'm happy to watch your reflection in them."

She cuddled up against him. "Let's go again," she stood up and reached out for him. He shook his head no as he stood up and took her hands, "You are pushing yourself. We can come back and do this again."

She reluctantly agreed and he walked her back to his room. They undressed separately, and he tucked her into bed. "Aren't you coming too?"

He shook his head no, "I want you to get a head start on sleep. I'll be up later, I promise." He kissed her cheek and went out of the room. She pulled the blankets up around her chin and was out.

The next morning, Beast allowed her to be out in the garden, only briefly, to monitor the work they were doing. "I can see it's in good hands," she smiled at him and Chip. She looked up at the sky, "It's nice to feel the sun on my face."

"You are getting stronger every day, Miss." Chip said.

"With all you to help me, how can I not?" she'd never been surrounded by so much support and love. Beast carried a basket of fruit and walked her back inside. Belle looked up at him, "I'd like to sit in the kitchen and help Mrs. Potts with her cooking if that's ok."

"Yes, at this rate, you'll be having another ax throwing contest with me in a week."

"Then I need to think of a suitable prize. The stakes are getting higher."

"I look forward to that," he held her by the shoulder.

Belle happily spent the afternoon at the kitchen table helping Mrs. Potts cutting vegetables, stirring, and sometimes just watching and keeping her company. She made her way back to Beast's room, walking in surprising him bathing in his large tub.

"Oh," she giggled, stopping at the entrance.

He opened his eyes to see her there, red-faced. "Belle," he said, gripping tightly the sides of the tub.

She collected herself and walked over to the tub by the side of the bed. She stood, her hand on her hip, "I could join you."

He started to tell her she didn't have to, hesitating. He shifted in the tub and looked up at her. Her smile faded and she bit her lip slightly. He checked himself and said, "It would be my pleasure if you would join me."

She beamed and quickly took her apron, her dress and shoes off, then her chemise and her bloomers. She tip toed over to the tub, and leaned on the side. He took in her naked form, distracted. "Beast?" she asked.

"What?"

"I said, could you make some room for me."

"Oh, of course," he pulled his knees up, leaving room at the end. She reached out for his hand as he helped her balance herself and she sat down across from him, dipping down in the water. She leaned her head back to get her hair wet, then wiped her face, laughing and looking at him. She waved the water back and forth with the cups of her hands, "This is nice."

"Yes, very much so."

She stretched her legs out, leaning them on him under the water. "I believe this is the first time you've been nude."

"And you as well."

"Well, I've been pretty close." she giggled.

He leaned back a bit, and gestured to her, "Why don't you come here."

She smiled and leaned over, reaching out for his shoulders and pulling herself towards him through the water. She lifted her legs up and sat in his lap as he gently put his paw on her bare backside. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking down at him and petting his fur under her fingers. She leaned down and kissed him, pressing up against him. Breathless, he broke their kiss, "Belle," he tried to collect his thoughts as she pushed his hardening cock up between them.

She frowned, "You don't want me to?"

He let out a slow breath, "No, that's not it. I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you," she said softly and leaned back down to kiss him. She cupped the sides of his face. "I'm healed, just a few light bruises left. They don't bother you, do they?" she looked concerned.

"No, just want to make sure you are better."

"All better," she leaned down and kissed him, this time he returned her kiss passionately. He let her lead as she pressed herself on him leaning down and pulling him towards her. He groaned, feeling her at his base. His desire for her overwhelmed him. She continued to kiss him and hold him closer, more bravely meeting his tongue with hers. As much as he went at her pace, he realized she did not know what to do. He took her hand and brought it down in the water on his cock. She let out a little gasp, "Is that what it is?"

"Yes, that's why I was concerned about hurting you." He moaned as she grabbed around it with her fingers.

"Sorry, did that hurt? I don't know what to do."

"No, no, it felt so good."

"Oh," she smiled and put her hand back around it.

"Yessss," his eyes closed slightly, "Squeeze it like that. You can use both hands."

She did so, watching his reaction to her movements. As she neared the tip, his eyes flew open, "Be careful there, it's more sensitive at the top." She nodded and was more gentle. He took her hands in his and showed her how to wrap around him and move up and down. She did so on her own, "How's that?" she worked him to the breaking point.

"I – ugh," he put his paws on her hips, "Turn around." And picked her up off him, as she scrambled her legs around to turn her back to him, straddling her legs behind him. He leaned her over slightly, "You can hold onto my legs," which she did, bracing herself. He pulled her back just enough so his cock was between her cheeks, going up her back. He moved her back and forth on him. She worked into a rhythm with his pelvis as he pushed up against her. He held his cock against her back with his paw and felt the release start from his base, "Urggh," he yelled out as he climaxed, gasping and spasming against her. She stopped, "Keep going," he croaked out, and she moved her hips back against him as he felt his climax. He finally slowed his movements, feeling lightheaded, leaning his head against the back of the tub. She slowed her movements as well, looking back over her shoulder at him, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, for Lord's sake, very much yes." He took her by the hips and guided her to turn back around to face him. She took his cock in her hand, "It's smaller now."

He laughed, "Yes, it does that. I'll explain more to you later."

She sat up in his lap again, rubbing herself on his chest. He pulled her up on her knees and took her breast in his mouth, suckling it, then the other, holding it with his hand as she took in gasping breaths and let out little high pitched moans. He positioned her over his cock, using his other paw to hold it up to her opening. She looked at him with trepidation. He responded, "We don't have to."

"No, I just – I'm nervous."

"You'll be fine, just like with everything else."

She saw the truth in that, and reached down in the water to help him find the right spot. She'd at least seen some of this in drawings and writings in some erotic novels she'd secretly read in the past. He gently pushed slightly at her entrance, as she opened her mouth in surprise at the sensation. She started gasping, and pushing down on him.

"Belle," he kissed her all over, as she worked him in further.

"How – how far can it go in?" she asked breathlessly.

"A bit further, but not completely," he struggled to keep control.

She stayed still, getting to a point where his girth wouldn't allow any more and Beast pulled her up by the waist, slightly up and down on him, repeatedly.  
"Yes, yes," she breathed out.

"Hold on to me and move up and down like that," he instructed.

She did as he said, feeling him moving more easily inside her. Waves of pleasure washed over her, feeling things she never imagined. She started to feel an instinct for what to do, what felt good. She pushed herself down a bit further and winced.

"Don't force it, don't hurt yourself." He warned.

"I have to," she continued a bit faster and he felt himself getting harder again. She was starting to be able to accommodate him more.

Knowing he couldn't continue much longer, he put the pad of his paw on her clit, marveling at the look of intense pleasure on her face. He rubbed it lightly as she moved on him rhythmically. He felt her walls tighten, "Yes, let it happen." She started to gasp louder, yelling out, then suddenly climaxing, her fingers digging into his arms, her head down with the spasms. He felt his own climax start, and pulled himself down slightly out of her so his girth wouldn't hurt her. He tensed and let out a roar, spilling into her. He gripped her backside, moving into her as he released. She looked at him wide-eyed, never imagining this is what it would be like. He started to relax, coming down, and released his grip on her, stroking her back, and finally opening his eyes.

She was speechless, breathing heavily with her hair splayed in front of her face. He brushed it aside to look at her. She collapsed on him, turning her head to the side and laying on him, dead weight. Her legs straddled him, and she breathed heavily. He stroked her hair, long wet ribbons going down her back into the water. He felt her sink down lower on him, still inside her. He kissed her shoulder, delirious with the feel of her walls tight around him, bringing her so much pleasure.

He suddenly smelled blood, and saw a little in the water, "Did I hurt you?" he was alarmed.

She shook her head, saying muffled in his chest, "No."

"There's blood, I must have done something." He started to pull her up, but she resisted.

"Well, there was bound to be the first time, right?" she said.

He realized then it was her maidenhood. He patted her back, "You're not hurt?"

"Just a little for a minute, but now it feels so good." She squeezed her arms around his waist under the water as he leaned back holding her against him. He gently rubbed his paw on her back, shoulder. "We need to get up Belle. Belle?" she was asleep. He kissed the side of her head and relaxed back, deciding to wait a bit until the water started getting cold, then he would wake her up and get out of the water. He held her tightly, feeling the heat between them.

"Sire, I need to ask you –" Lumiere stopped short in his room.

Beast quickly put his finger up to his lips, "Shhh," and held her to him.

Lumiere stared then getting over his shock, quickly turned and left, closing the door behind him. Beast took a deep breath and patted her on the back, "Belle, the water's going to get cold, you need to get up. Belle?"

She woke up and turned to look up at him, giving him a sloppy smile, "Why don't we move to the bed?"

He laughed, "That's not really how it works. It takes a few hours at least for your body, mine too, to work back up to that again. Besides, you will get too sore inside. Then you won't be able to for a few days. That's not good."

She frowned, "I see your point. I have to defer to your expertise on this." She started to lean back, and he stopped her, "No, straight up or you'll bend it," and he guided her up. She got off him and sat back down at the end of the tub. He stood up, the water splashing around and on the floor. He took a blanket and dried off, then got out, "I'll get you, hold on." He walked around her and helped her out of the tub, putting the blanket around her shoulders, patting her down with it. He kissed her sweet happy face and went to his wardrobe to get his clothes. He sat on his bed and got dressed, watching her do the same. She crawled up behind him, hugging him around the neck and giving him a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for trusting me," she said.


	14. Chapter 14

Beast held onto her arm around his neck, eyes closed, enjoying the happiness he'd wanted for so long. He patted her, "We should go down and get dinner before they come looking for us."

She nodded and let go, bounding off the bed. "Oh," she stopped suddenly.

He noticed the grimace on her face, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just a bit sore, like you said," she pursed her lips, "Ooo. I think I'll walk a bit slower."

"Sure you will be okay?"

She nodded, "Yes, come get me in 10 minutes, I'll be ready."

He opened his window and lifted the tub, tilting it so the water spilled down to the grass below. He placed it back on the floor, and walked towards the wardrobe. Spying the pink silk coat on the end of the bed, he put it on, looking down at the sleeve and admiring her handiwork. It smelled strongly of her, and he loved that.

He knocked on her door, barely getting a second one in when she flew it open and beamed at him. "I'm ready. Oh- you're wearing it," she pointed.

"Yes, I appreciate your fine stitching. You can have it back when I'm done with it, if you still want it, however."

She twirled, wearing one of the lighter cotton dresses she'd bought at the dressmaker. "It's pink like you requested, we match." She gave him a broad smile. She had also put some yellow roses in her hair.

"I like that very much." He held his arm out for her and they went down to the kitchen.

They ate with a few knowing glances between them. Belle was very bubbly and enthusiastic, to Mrs. Potts' delight. "You are feeling much better, Miss?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks to all of you, especially Beast." She grinned and took a bite of fruit, looking over at him. He raised an eyebrow, realizing she had a depth of passion and emotion he had just started to discover.

After dinner, they went to the library arm in arm, and she took out her sketch pad and contentedly worked on a new drawing of Beast in the tub. She smiled conspiratorially to herself. Beast was reading at a nearby chair when he noticed Lumiere closing the curtains for the night.

"What was it you were asking me before, Lumiere?" Beast asked.

Lumiere kept closing the heavy long curtains, "Oh, it was about the supplies for the fountain. Nothing too pressing." He quickened his pace.

Beast stood up, "I wanted to go over that with you, if we could please."

Lumiere took a deep breath and finished the last two, "I can meet with you in my room, I have the plans in there."

"Yes, that will be fine." He closed his book and turned to Belle, "I shouldn't be too long." She nodded, and Beast went down towards the front of the castle, inside Lumiere's room. He walked around a bit waiting, was just about to go look for him when he came in and closed the door.

Beast started, "Have you said anything to anyone else?"

Lumiere adjusted his glasses, "No, Sire, I have not." He gestured to the one large chair he kept in the office part of his room for Beast to sit. "Please, sit down."

Beast did so as Lumiere sat at his desk, his hand to his forehead, "I apologize for coming in your room without knocking, I was unaware."

Beast tapped the arm of the chair, "Everyone was unaware."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Started about a week before the kidnapping incident. It has been progressing more every day."

Lumiere put his hand over his eyes, "So why is the curse not reversed? Was there never a chance for it to happen?"

Beast shook his head, "Why do you say that?"

Lumiere snorted, "I would think a sexual liaison would be enough, wouldn't you?"

Beast drew in a breath and narrowed his eyes, "She has not said she loves me."

Lumiere stared at him, "But she does, she has to. It is obvious to everyone."

Beast slammed his paw on the arm of the chair, "You remember what the witch said, it was very clear – 'A kiss and declaration of true love.' I cannot change the conditions."

Lumiere closed his eyes and shook his head, standing up, "It's all but done! Isn't that what has happened with her already?"

"No it isn't – maybe what she feels is lust, esteem-"

"Put that together, and it's love. Come on Adam, you must see that something must happen and soon, if it's not too late already."

"I don't even care." Beast said.

Lumiere spun around, "What?"

He said it louder, "I don't even care. She cares for me as I am. Beastly form, stuck in the castle – she accepts me, accepts all of us. She is devoted to us. A woman of such character, such intelligence." He sighed, "If I have to stay this way the rest of her life, she does not mind."

Lumiere's brows furrowed, "What have you done? Did you tell her you loved her, dooming us all?" he said angrily.

Beast slammed his paws on both armrests and pushed himself up, "How can you ask me that? Of course not. I would never sacrifice you for myself. I have wanted to tell her a hundred times, but always deny myself that."

Lumiere visibly relaxed, "Thank goodness for that." He walked back to his desk, "We do not have much time left though."

"I have not seen the rose for weeks."

"I have."

Beast looked up at him. "You know I forbade that."

"Yes, I went against your wishes, I know. Things have not been exactly the usual around here lately."

Beast waited, "Well?"

He looked at him directly, "There is one petal left." He cleared his throat, "Could you not –"

"No," he said sternly, "I could not. You remember what the witch said, if I try to, or anyone else tries to, cajole her into saying it, it will not work, and we are all stuck in the curse forever."

"Seems like we are stuck in it forever anyway."

"There is still some hope, at least." He sighed, "Believe me, I have had the same thoughts and feelings as you. I'm tempted to try and, at least – facilitate what I believe she already feels, but we must put it aside. She is not here for a purpose. She is here as herself." He thought for a moment, "Perhaps even just for the witch's purpose. To value true beauty, and to earn it back as well."

Lumiere looked dejected, upsetting Beast. This was why he didn't want any of them to know he and Belle were getting so close. It could give them false hope, and he knew how painful that was.

"At least it's not as bad as it was." He walked over and patted Lumiere on the shoulder, "I understand. Being this close, it makes it harder if it doesn't happen. I fell in love with her, and no matter what, something beautiful has happened here in the castle. I do appreciate the night of dancing in the ballroom you did for us."

Lumiere leaned his head on his hand, saying ruefully, "Yes, for as much good as it did."

"You never know. Whatever your intentions were, we both were very appreciative of the magic you created."

"So what happens now? She lives here the rest of her life, we continue under the curse indefinitely. And what will it be like 50 years from now when she's gone?"

Beast looked down, "I will have the memories of her and our time together to sustain me. In my journals I have been writing everything. I will reread them until the pages fall apart." He cleared his throat, "What choice do I have?"

"Yes, I see." Lumiere said quietly. They stayed in silence for a few moments, then Beast turned and left his room.

Lumiere looked down at his papers on his desk, angry. His situation was different. He couldn't take a chance drawing Claudine or anyone into his world. The risk to their situation at the castle was too great. He had periodically entertained the thought of leaving, living in town, but how long would it be before it would be noticed that he never aged? He would eventually have to break the heart of whoever he loved and leave them. He knew deep down he could never leave the others in the castle, they all relied on each other. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily.

Back in the library, Belle looked up to see the concern on Beast's face, "Is everything alright?"

"What? Oh, yes, just some plumbing type issues. We should be able to have it cleared up."

Satisfied, she nodded and went back to her pencil drawing. Beast tried to read, but Lumiere's words circled around his brain. He finally gave up on the book and walked over where Belle was drawing. She pulled her sketchbook quickly up to her chest, "No, you can't see what I'm working on."

"I would just like to admire you work." He said.

She shook her head no, pushing his hand away.

"Well then, I would like to make a request. Could you do some drawings of yourself? It's something I would very much like to have. Perhaps even some of us together?"

She thought for a second, "I haven't tried that before, but I believe I could do it, yes."

Beast brightened, "That would be something I would treasure."

It became late, and putting her sketching away, Belle came over to sit next to Beast. Cuddled up to his side, she pulled his arm around her.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

She nodded, "Anything."

He smiled at that, "Are you recovered from your experience with Gaston?"

She held his arm closely around her, nodding, "Yes. A few faint bruises, and the pain is mostly gone."

"I mean how it affected you otherwise. The torture."

She sat up and turned to face him.

"I do not mean to distress you, but I feel it is something we have not talked about." He took her hand, "I am overjoyed with our closeness, but know that I am concerned you may be pushing yourself."

She started to shake her head no, but he interrupted her. "Please hear me out. I do not want you to feel as if I am pressuring you. If you need time to," he struggled for words, "feel whole again after his attack, I will support you in that." He rubbed her hand, "You do not have anything to prove to me."

She gave him a small smile, watching his paw rub her hand, "I appreciate you saying that." She looked up at him, "It took a day or two, but my experience with him did not change how I feel about you."

He felt his heart race, he held his breath.

She reached out and caressed his face, "What he did to me was a physical attack. There was nothing 'romantic' about it. When I am with you, it is as if it was before, there are no residual issues or fears. I am fortunate that you came for me in time. Had it been another day, if I'd even lived, it would have been a different circumstance once I came back. But I do not think of that when I am with you, at all. I am very touched you had these concerns and thoughts." She reached up and pulled him into a hug, his protective hand on her back. She spoke into his shoulder, "On the contrary, I want to feel and experience everything with you." She pulled back, looking up at him, "It's like a whole new world has opened up for me with you, and I can't get enough." She blushed.

They retired to Beast's room that night, once inside, Beast grabbed her around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug, much to her delight. She jumped up a little so he was carrying her, and he took her over to the bed, placing her gently on it. He put his paws on either side of her and leaned down towards her face, smiling lovingly at her. She put her hand on his face and kissed him. He closed his eyes and reveled in her attentions, her sweet lips on his, her eagerness. She pulled back and put her hands around his neck and gave him a mischievous grin. "Soooo," she started.

He gave her an indulgent smile, "Soooo – what?"

She blushed and pursed her lips, "Well, I – I don't know," she turned a brighter shade of red, looking down.

He chuckled, "Tonight, my dear, we need to get some sleep."

She pouted. He delighted in that, and said, "Come on, get ready for bed, and I'll hold you in my arms all night."

She nodded, "I would like that." As she got undressed she cleared her throat, "I've, uh, read some things, seen things in books that we could try, if you want to that is."

"Indeed?" he hung up his jacket.

"Yes, you know what you did with me the first time, I could try with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she climbed into bed in her nightgown, "I don't know how to describe it exactly, but I could put my mouth on your, you know." She clasped her hands in her lap. She intentionally pushed past her embarrassment to be open with him.

"You mean my cock?"

"Yes, right? People do that, don't they?"

He raised his eyebrow, she certainly was brash. He smiled to himself, thinking of how he had criticized that about her when she first came to the castle. Now it seemed to be an asset, she didn't put on airs or play games. He turned and got into bed with her. "Yes, people do that. I am very large, though, it would be difficult."

"True. But, I could do other things, try some things with it." She sat up on her knees.

He rubbed his face vigorously with his paw, he never in a thousand years thought he would be having this conversation with a woman in his bed. "If we start that, I would want, I would need – some completion to it. I recommend we sleep tonight, and try in the morning." He stroked her hair, pulling a lock towards him and rubbing it between his fingers.

"Again, I will have to defer to your judgement on the matter."

"I do appreciate your openness. We can – try some things."

She pulled herself under the blanket and cuddled into his outstretched arms.

In the morning, he woke up to see her awake already and stroking the fur on his arm. He smiled and pulled her in more tightly to him. He placed gentle kisses on her neck, to which she squirmed and giggled, "That tickles."

"It's the fur, I can't help it." He pressed himself up against her back, eliciting a little gasp out of her.

"Does it stay big like that all the time?"

"No, just when I want you. So, I suppose, that's a lot of the time. I do try to control it as much as I can though." He reached his paw around her waist and down her leg, "It's very difficult with you here."

She turned her head to look back up at him, "And when did you decide you might like me a little bit? When I first hugged you? When I came back from town and didn't run away?"

"When I saw you on the auction block."

She turned on her back to look up at him, "That cannot be. That soon?"

"Actually, sooner. I'd seen you in town before, reading, walking with goods in your basket. I wondered what type of life you must have. You looked – interesting." He looked down at her, "So when I saw you on the auction block, and the type of men bidding on you, I couldn't allow it. I had to have you here at the castle. I just didn't know exactly why at the time."

She brushed hair off her face, looking at him intently, "That's amazing." She leaned up and kissed him. She reached up pulled him down slightly, feeling his warmth and soft lips on hers. She let her tongue play slightly inside his mouth, as he responded with his own. He kissed down her neck and up again as she wriggled under him. He looked down and saw she was trying to pull her bloomers off. "Let me help you," he deftly took them off with his paw and reached up under her nightgown as she threw her hands up and gasped in pleasure. He raked his hands down her sides, mindful to keep his claws retracted, as always. He pulled down and lifted her pelvis up to his mouth. She looked down at him, "Wait – I was going to try with you."

He nodded, "You first." He massaged her clitoris with his tongue, gently rubbing around her opening with the pad of his finger. He considered attempting to put his finger inside, but it wasn't too much smaller than his spent cock, so he decided against the risk of hurting her. He worked her into a frenzy. She started bucking and yelling out, until he could sense she was close – her legs tense and still, quivering until she started climaxing. Her walls contracted again and again. He wanted to feel that around him so badly. She gasped repeatedly, her hand over her face, her other hand clenching a wad of blanket tightly. "Oh, oh, Beast!" she yelled out. He loved how she enjoyed sex with abandon.

She calmed down, turning her head side to side, "I just – I can't believe how that feels." She took deep breaths, and sat up, grabbing him and kissing him passionately. She pulled at his shirt, and he took it off, as she untied her dressing gown and pulled it off as well. They both sat naked, facing each other. Belle wanted to do something, but the weight of her inexperience was on her. Never one to operate in fear, she reached out tentatively for his cock, remembering how he had instructed her to. She lightly squeezed it, moving down to the base as he'd said, and watched as he let a slow breath out, his eyes partly closed.

"You'll have to tell me what to do," she bit her lip slightly. Dirty pictures in books were one thing, actually performing it herself was an entirely different matter.

"I – uh," he struggled to form thoughts together over the exquisite pleasure she was giving him. Her soft small hands belied their strength. "Let me move up," he positioned himself at the top of the bed on his back, slightly reclined on pillows.

She moved to his side and leaned over, working him with her hand again. She got closer to him, examining his cock for the first time. Smooth skin emerged from the hair of the sheath, a slight point at the top. She kept moving her hands, and started lightly kissing it, as Beast let out the softest moan. She licked him, but found that unsatisfying to her, and instead concentrated on the tip. She knew she wouldn't be able to put it in her mouth, but she could get her mouth around a portion of the tip.

He gasped feeling her warm wet lips on him, she moved her tongue slightly over and over it. "Suck on it," he instructed. She did so, increasing the pressure he felt at his base. He held onto her soft hair, spilled all around him,he knew he was close. "Keep your hands going," he said. He could feel it coming up, and yelled, "Get your mouth off!" she leaned up, looking at him surprised, as he grunted loudly, "Keep squeezing." She complied, marveling at how stiff it was getting and even larger. Suddenly he let out a loud roar and as she pumped him, ejaculate squirted out. Shocked, she tilted it slightly so it went away from her. His hips jerked forward repeatedly and she let up her pressure as he became softer and slowed down. He started laughing, the amount of pleasure overwhelming him. He leaned up and took her face in his hand, kissing her, "You can let go now," he said, and she did so, reaching around his waist.

"Oh Belle," he cradled her in his arms, wanting so badly to confess his love to her. She scooted into his lap, her legs around his waist.

"What was that?"

"Hm?" he leaned back and straightened the stray hairs on her head. "Oh, that's normal. It's supposed to do that."

"Do I do that when it happens?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, it's different."

"Is it dangerous if it touches me?"

He chuckled, "No, not at all. Inside you, inside your mouth, it won't hurt you a bit."

"Then why did you tell me to move off?"

"I didn't want to take you by surprise."

"Oh," she turned slightly and leaned over to swipe some ejaculate off the blanket on her finger. She licked it off, as Beast wide-eyed watched.

"Um – " he held his paw up to stop her.

"You said it was ok. It's kind of salty."

"Yes," he could feel himself getting hard again watching her do that. "Come on, we need to get down for breakfast. We can always explore each other later."

"You promise?" she said coyly.

He leaned down and kissed her breast, suckling a few times on her nipple, causing her to gasp, "Definitely."


	15. Chapter 15

At breakfast Belle kept giggling and giving Beast sideways smiles. He attempted to eat and act as normal, but it was difficult with her reactions. Mrs. Potts was again happy to see she was better. She had become more protective of her over the months.

"Would you be able to get me some more fruit today? I'd like to make some pies for tonight." She asked Belle.

Belle smiled, "Absolutely. Would you join me Beast?"

He nodded.

"We can do it later. I promised Chip we could have another ax throw game. Why don't you join us?"

Mrs. Potts scrunched up her face, "Um, yes, after I finish cleaning up after breakfast."

Belle turned to Beast, "We can have a rematch. Maybe you'll win."

"As long as you don't distract me this time."

"No promises," she licked the syrup off her spoon.

He smiled and shook his head.

They went outside to get the game set up, Chip scurrying after them. Lumiere walked in the kitchen, looking out the window. Mrs. Potts noticed, finishing drying her last few plates, "Why don't you go outside too? The more players the better. I'm almost done and then I'm going out there."

Lumiere stood with his arms clasped behind his back. "Do you remember when I said there was something between them?"

"Yes," she nodded, wiping her hands on her apron and joining him at the window, "Why, is there more going on?"

Lumiere turned to her, then back out to the yard. Belle was walking arm in arm with Beast, leaning on him.

"That is close. She's very grateful about – Oh, look at that-" Mrs. Potts pointed. Belle leaned up and kissed him. "Oh!" Mrs. Potts gasped and put her hand to her mouth. She looked at Lumiere wide-eyed, "The curse!"

Lumiere shook his head no, "She must say the words that she loves him. She is not doing it." He let out a frustrated sigh.

"I see," Mrs. Potts watched them, walking as a couple, Beast putting his arm around her. "I don't understand – "

"We don't either. I've talked to him about it. Unfortunately, we may be already out of time."

"I can't believe we finally have a chance, and that's it?"

"He says he's just happy to be in a relationship with her."

Mrs. Potts put her hand on his shoulder, "But what could he do, Lumiere? He's trapped like us. If he tries to make her say it –"

"I know, I know. We've come so far, all of us." He turned to watch Belle, "She has turned out to be a bright light in our castle. I'm glad she's here. It's good to see him happy, and I enjoy her company as well."

"I think," Mrs. Potts said softly, "That we all have healed each other. I am proud of where Belle and I are now. I like to think she looks at me as a type of mother." She started to get choked up, "Well, enough of that," she wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron, "I'm going to go outside and cheer them on. Come on, come on out with me and join in."

Chip set up the wooden target and had run to the shed to get the axes. Belle turned and put her arms up around Beast's neck, pulling herself close. He saw Mrs. Potts and Lumiere coming around the corner of the castle towards them. He reached up for her hands, pulling them down slightly, "If you continue, it will be impossible to keep it a secret."

She turned to look in the direction he was looking, then back to him, "I don't care if everyone knows." She pulled him closer into a hug, as he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace.

Mrs. Potts came towards them, grinning, "Well, let's get this game started, shall we? I brought Lumiere with me to make it an even match."

They played for a while, everyone cheering Chip on. Belle took him on her team against Lumiere and Beast, who won, of course. She did get 1 bullseye, to her delight. She refused to make a bet with Beast, making one with Chip, that if he got 3 on the board she would make his favorite dessert, which he did.

In the bright sun of the morning, they laughed and had fun as Beast took a moment to be thankful for the moment. He caught Belle's eye, the sun making a bright halo in her hair as she gave him an enthusiastic grin. She ran over to him and jumped up in his arms as he spun her around. Her laughter rang out over the field.

"I'll put it away, Miss," Chip called out.

Belle nodded towards him as Beast put her down, "We'll get some peaches to make that cobbler for you."

Beast and Belle walked towards the orchard, she grabbing a basket along the way. "I don't need too many of them, just a few more."

"That's nice of you to do that for him," Beast said.

"He won the bet, didn't he? I couldn't think of anything to wager with you. I have everything I could possibly want." She smiled.

"I – I feel the same." He gave her hand a squeeze.

They picked some peaches off the trees, Belle waving away some bees, "I think there's a hive out here somewhere. There are a lot of them back by these trees."

"Hm, I'll get Lumiere and we'll investigate."

"A few bees are good, but these are too many." She put one last peach in her basket, "There, that should do it." She pushed a branch out of her way and caught up to where he was waiting. "I have a new recipe I want to try for a fruit drink."

"A fruit drink?" he walked slowly beside her as they walked towards the clearing of the lawn.

"Yes, I found some cookbooks in the library. This one has mint in it, as well. Mrs. Potts has an herb garden, but I'm hopeless to find the right one. I'd end up putting dill in it."

He laughed, "Whatever you make I would like, I'm sure. I like to try new things with you."

She brushed her hair off her forehead, "I'm glad," she looked over at him, "I love you."

He stopped suddenly, "What?"

"I said –"

Beast dropped to his knees, violently coughing. A dark smoky cloud encapsulated him. Belle watched, stunned, "Beast? Beast!" she tried to approach him, but he held his hand out to stop her. She dropped her basket and ran as fast as she could inside the castle. Screaming for help, Lumiere grabbed her in the foyer, trying to get out of her what was happening, "It's Beast, he's – something's wrong!" she yelled hysterically, her eyes wild.

"Hold on!" Lumiere ran in his room as Mrs. Potts tried to calm Belle as she repeated to her what she'd seen. Lumiere held his gun, "Come on!" and he raced out around the corner as they followed behind him.

Belle felt she was going to be sick as she saw a crumple of his clothes on the ground where he had stood, she yelled pointing, "There – there! See? Someone took him! Beast! Beast!"

Mrs. Potts tried to hold Belle back as Lumiere approached the pile of clothes that were now moving. Something stood up suddenly, and Lumiere stopped, holding his gun up and cocking it, "Halt! I command you!"

The figure turned, and Belle broke free from Mrs. Potts, running towards him, "Where's Beast! What have you done with him!"

Lumiere stood transfixed, "Can it be?" Mrs. Potts dropped to her knees on the ground.

Belle stomped up angrily past Lumiere to the man, yelling at him, "Where is he?" she turned back to Lumiere, "Do something!"

Suddenly the figure ran clumsily towards Lumiere who uncocked the gun and dropped it. Belle watched as the man held his arms out and caught Lumiere in a strong embrace. Lumiere sobbed, holding the man tightly, then pushing him away and putting his hand to his face, laughing, then hugging him again. Belle looked to Mrs. Potts who was rocking back and forth on the ground, crying and laughing.

Belle was desperate, "Stop it! What's wrong with you? Make him tell you where he is!"

The man gave Lumiere a few hard claps on his back, and then let go, going over to Mrs. Potts and attempting to help her up, but she was too emotional. He got down on the ground with her and held her, rocking back and forth with her.

Furious, Belle turned to Lumiere, grabbing his jacket, "They did something with Beast! Find him! Beast!" she let go, turning around looking frantically around the woods, "Beast!"

"It's me," the man started walking towards her.

"Get away! What did you do with him? Beast! Beast! Help!"

He got closer, "Belle, it's me! I'm Beast. You did it! You broke the curse." He looked down at his hands, turning them back and forth. He held them out for Lumiere to see, laughing. Lumiere came up put his hands on his shoulders, "I cannot believe it. It's true, it's really you again." They hugged.

Lumiere caught Belle's expression as she was still backing away. He held onto Adam and brought him over to her, "It's him, Miss. Back in his human form. You must have broken the curse."

"I did? What?" she frowned.

Adam approached her, "Yes, you did. 'A kiss and a declaration of true love', that's what I had to have to break the curse. I thought – I thought it was too late. I never even believed it would happen, would even be possible after all this time." He reached out for her hand, but she pulled back.

"I don't believe you. Where is he?"

"Miss, please, it's true." Lumiere said quietly.

She looked at the stranger, a tall, handsome man, a bit older than her. He was wearing Beast's clothes he'd had on just a minute ago, now baggy and falling off him. Beast's black hair tie was still in his dark brown hair.

"My love, please, look in my eyes and see it is truly me." He carefully stepped close to her and took her hand in his.

She hesitated, looking over at Lumiere and Mrs. Potts who nodded at her. She looked into his eyes and saw the same blue eyes she'd seen in Beast. "I – I don't understand."

"My name is Adam, I was turned into a Beast by a witch at a party after my selfish and shallow vanity hurt someone close to her. She turned me into a beast, over 200 years ago, and said if I could ever find and earn the true love of a woman who would kiss me and make a declaration of true love, the curse would be reversed, and my dear, against all odds, I have been the fortunate recipient of yours." He started to cry, and pressed her hand to his lips.

"Is this why you brought me to the castle?" she narrowed her eyes.

He frowned and shook his head no, "I had no intentions of that. The fact that we have fallen in love has been a happy surprise."

"Does this have something to do with that rose?"

He nodded, "It was given to me as a countdown. When the last petal fell, I would stay this way forever, and in truth I was resigned to my fate. I thought the last one had fallen already. I couldn't tell you any of this. To do so, to tell you I love you or try to make you say you loved me would make the curse permanent. Not for just me, but for everyone here at the castle."

She turned to look at Lumiere and Mrs. Potts. "Miss, you have set us free." Lumiere had tears falling from his eyes.

Adam told her, "I am so happy you have given me this gift, but more than that is the opportunity now to love you and give you everything you deserve. Oh, to be able to finally say I love you," he closed his eyes, "I have wanted to a thousand times, and now I am able to," he held her hands up to his chest, overcome with emotion.

"I don't know what to think," she kept looking at him for some recognition. They all seemed to be in agreement, but was it really Beast?

Adam opened his eyes and let go of her hands, seeing the confusion on her face. He knew it would take her some time. "Let's go inside," he turned and held onto his pants to keep them from falling down. He hugged Mrs. Potts, who clung to him, looking up at his face the whole walk back.

"It is him, Miss Belle, it's the man who was stuck inside the Beast." Lumiere said to her as they walked behind them.

She crossed her arms in front of her, "He does sort of look like the man in the painting in his old room, what there was left of it."

"Do you remember what you said to him before he suddenly was taken with a fit? Did you say you loved him?"

"I did."

Lumiere beamed, "There you go. It didn't matter if you felt it before, you had to say it. Oh my little one, you have actually done it."

"I would say he's done it. It was his kindness, his strength and love that made me fall in love with him." She looked at his back as he walked ahead of them. Lumiere patted her arm.

They went inside the castle, past the library and to the room with the rose. "I- I don't know what I'll find." Adam said, hesitating at the door. He took a deep breath and opened it, taking purposeful steps towards the table. "There's no glow anymore." They gathered around the glass cloche, and peered in at the bottom. He took the top off and reached his hand out for the bottom, brushing the brown dust off to pick up a dried black stem and a single brown petal still clinging to it. He held it up for them all to see, as the petal fell off. Mrs. Potts gasped, and they all looked at each other, but nothing happened.

Lumiere spoke, "It has no power anymore."

"Let's go," Adam put the stem down and motioned for Belle to go first, as he followed with Mrs. Potts and Lumiere. As he closed the door behind them, and walked out in the library, the stood around and stared at him. "Well, everything suddenly looks so much bigger now."

Lumiere and Mrs. Potts laughed as Belle stood next to the piano, holding onto the side of it. She looked down, feeling unsettled by this radical change of events. Adam cleared his throat and started walked towards her, when Chip came in the room.

"I found your basket out in the yard, Miss, I put it in the kitchen for you." He nodded at Lumiere and stared at Adam. "Who – " he pointed. No one spoke as Adam walked over, extending his hand, and Chip jumped up and down, "It's you! It's you!" he took his hand and shook it, and wrapped him in a big hug.

"You're bigger than the master now, son." Mrs. Potts smiled.

"Alright, alright," Adam patted his back, "She's right, you're the tall one now." He pulled back and looked at him.

"I am amazed. How did you do it?" Chip couldn't stop looking at him.

"I owe it all to Miss Belle." He gestured towards her.

She shook her head, "It was also his doing, for certain."

"You must be very happy now that you can do the things you did before."

"I – hadn't really thought about it all, but yes. Riding horses, going to town, playing an instrument, and so much more. More that is meaningful to all of us." He looked around the room, "I cannot thank you all so very much for all these years, what you have done for me," he started to cry.

Mrs. Potts ran up to him, "Sire, you have become the kindest, most wonderful man. You have always looked out for us."

"Sire," Lumiere said, "It has been my privilege to serve you all these years."

"Now do I finally get to be older?" Chip asked.

"I suppose we'll find out. That is what is supposed to happen." Adam said.

"I don't feel any different," Mrs. Potts said.

"When I get a gray hair, I guess I'll know." Lumiere patted his thick dark mane.

"I think I need to sit down a minute," Adam went to the couch.

"Of course, come on," Mrs. Potts motioned to Chip and Lumiere, "Let's leave them to talk." They walked out, then Mrs. Potts stopped and ran back, leaning down and kissing Adam on the cheek. She looked at him lovingly, holding his face and smiling shaking her head, then briskly walked back out, dabbing at the tears in her eyes.

Adam leaned back, his hand over his eyes. Belle recognized his movements, his mannerisms. She sat down next to him, putting her hand hesitantly on his shoulder. He let out a little gasp, not realizing she had even sat next to him. He turned towards her, and took her hand in his. "I know this is a big change. A strange surprise. I hope you can in time accept it. I know you fell in love with Beast, but I am still him inside." He looked up at her.

She saw his vulnerability, his fear. She gave his hand a squeeze. "If I know it is really you, there is no change in my love for you, as it was who you are that I feel in love with, and gave my love freely to."

"I am the same Beast who took you off the auction block, who you beat in the ax contest, who watched you plunge your knife in Gaston's dead chest. I'm the same Beast who took your blue hair ribbon out of your book to keep dear to my heart." He looked down, "I can show you in my room where I keep it."

She reached out and held him in a hug. He was different, yet familiar. He put his arms around her, pressing himself up against her tightly. "My darling heart, I love you so much." He murmured.

She put her head on his shoulder, feeling him tense with sobs. She stroked the back of his head until he calmed down. He pulled away finally, looking at her, "I suppose you can't stroke my fur anymore."

"No, but if it gives you peace to be out of pain from your horns and large size, it is worth it all, is it not?"

He nodded, absently putting a hand to where the horns used to be. He looked down at his disheveled clothing, "I have a few items in my wardrobe from before." He stood up and grabbing his pants with one hand, he clasped her hand in his other, and walked back to his bedchamber. "Everything really does look larger, taller to me."

"You're still pretty tall to me."

"I cannot wait to do so many things together, to experience so much with you that I couldn't before." He walked in his room. Stopping and looking around, he mused, "I suppose I'll have to move somewhere else in the castle." He went to his wardrobe and let the pants fall, his long shirt dragging on the floor. He wriggled out of the jacket that enveloped him and opened the wardrobe, pushing the coats aside and reaching into the very back. "Yes, this is it." He pulled out a complete set of clothes, "I have a few still here that I kept." He took it off the hanger and as he pulled his long shirt off, he saw Belle avert her eyes. He quickly put the smaller clothing on, and said, "There, I've no mirror here to see, but it fits better."

She looked at him. He looked like an old painting. Faded blue silk with extensive fancy embroidery. The metallic threads had turned over the years, but the many ribbons and embellishments were still striking. "I – it fits you well."

He frowned, "Yes, let's go, at least I'm covered. Perhaps Lumiere has shoes that fit." She followed him down to the kitchen where they were all excitedly talking. They gasped when he walked in.

"Oh my, there is Adam."

"Sire, it's as if you walked out of the past." Lumiere marveled.

"Could I trouble you for some shoes?" Beast asked.

Lumiere jumped up and went to his quarters, followed by Beast, and Belle tagging behind. Lumiere sorted through a few pairs before picking one and bringing it to him, "Here, these are in better shape."

Adam sat down and put it on. "I can't believe something so little fits. It's actually a little loose," he chuckled.

"We'll have to go to town soon and get you some new things."

"Yes, and this time I can go as well." He stood up and moved his feet back and forth a few times. He walked over to Lumiere's mirror and looked at himself fully for the first time. Shocked, he turned back and forth, looking at himself from every angle.

Lumiere stood next to him, admiring, "Is it not amazing, Sire?"

"I had forgotten what I looked like." He frowned, "This, this fippery," he looked down at his arms, ran his hands over the front of the coat, pulling at the ribbons, "I cannot wear this ridiculousness." He took the jacket off, looking in dismay at the pants. "The shirt is adequate. But these, honestly, it makes me ill to see this version of myself. Could you – Lumiere, could I impose on you if you have some pants that might fit."

"Of course, Adam." He rifled through his wardrobe and brought some plain blue ones to him.

"Yes, thank you. I will get you some more in town to replace it." He changed quickly and looked in the mirror, "Much better, thank you."

Belle spoke up, "I can alter some of your other pants, if you'd like. The jackets too."

Adam picked up the old extravagant clothing and handed it to Lumiere, "Please dispose of these." He turned to Belle, "That is most kind of you, however, besides the amount of work that would take, I think I would like to keep my other clothing intact." He reached out a hand for hers, "Please join me in the kitchen, we can all talk together."

They all sat and talked excitedly about the breaking of the curse, what they could do now and how much they valued each other for the past many years. Mrs. Potts and Belle started putting a lunch together, when Adam suggested they all eat together in the formal dining room. Brushing the dust aside, they all enjoyed the meal together. Adam noticed Belle's reticence and quiet, despite what she had said to him in the library. He determined to give her the space she needed to make her decision for herself. _Will I lose her now, after gaining her love as Beast?_ He worried.


End file.
